Chapter 10: Campfire Conversations

Like I mentioned in a previous story, grammer / spell check is not on my side, so cut me some slack.

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Balto or How to Train your Dragon. They both belong to their respective owners and this is just for fun, NOT for profit.

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(Hiccup POV)

We arrived at the top of the watch tower with everyone already there. Gobber and Fishlegs was kindling the fire in the pit and turning the meat roasting against it. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were wrestling like usual with Snotlout egging them on.

"Look who finally decided to show up" Tuffnut said while he was pinned down. He used the momentary distraction to flip Ruffnut off of him.

"Where have you guys been?" Ruff said while grabbing Tuff's ankle and shoving him behind her.

"Probably, smooching it up in that 'Boiler room' that you call a Repair shop. I've heard that things get 'heated' over there"

"No way." Snotlout interjected as he walked toward us. "If there is anything heated going on, it'll be between Astrid and me, right babe?" Snotlout said as he pushed me aside and slung an arm around Astrid, who promptly twisted it until he back off.

"In you're dreams, Snot. I was visiting the Qugax Tanaa & training in the woods and Hiccup was hanging out at the Shop".

"Come on, guys!" Fishlegs said getting our attention. "The food is ready."

As everyone was scrambling to get the best and least burnt food, I could have sworn I saw Gobber staring at me. I shook it off as grabbed a chicken quarter, sat between Astrid & Fishlegs, and ate as Gobber told us old stories.

" ...and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face. I was delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg. And you want to know the worst part? "

"What?" all the guys said expect for me.

"Becau-"

"Because I had a vision about it a couple months prior." I interrupted.

"Hiccup – that's my bit."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. I already heard this several times."

"Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a wolf." Fishlegs started to ramble. "Like if your mind was still in control of it. You could have killed the wolf from the inside by crushing his heart or something."

"I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your magnificent hand and your marvelous foot. I'll chop off the face of every wolf I fight, with my face." He postures to Astrid, who rolled her eyes.

"No. No. It's the feet and the tails you really want. If it can't balance and keep up with the pack, it'll be left behind. A great rule of nature is 'huzugil txin kayus' or 'being together becomes strength' (*1). If you able to separate or scatter them, then you can pick them off one by one. A wounded wolf is practically a dead dog."

I stared into the fire pit, absorbing all that Gobber had said. If Toothless stays in that cave, someone is bound to find him. Since I can only carry enough food for one day, he could starve if I'm gone for too long. That is unless he could climb out on his own.

"Alright. I'm off to bed." Gobber said standing up and stretching. "You all should too. Tomorrow we get into the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who'll win the 'honor' of killing it?" He hobbles off leaving the teens to reflect.

"It's gonna be me." Tuff said. "It's my destiny. See?" Tuffnut rolls up his sleeve to reveal a brown blotch that resembled a wolf's head on his arm.

"Your mom let you get a tattoo?" Fishlegs said in awe.

"It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark."

"Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before." Ruff pointed out.

"Yes it was. You've just never seen me from the left side until now."

And with nothing else productive going on, I left.

"Agitaadaan!"

At least I would have if Astrid didn't notice me leaving. I got down to the bottom of the tower before I heard her and stopped for her to catch up with me.

"Where you going all of a sudden?"

"You know, I was heading home earlier." I shrugged. "I'm feeling tired, so I was just going to head home."

"Alright" She said slightly wary but satisfied. "I might do the same." He gave me a playful jab to my arm before walking off "I'll see you later."

"See you."

I continued to walk toward my house until Astrid was out of sight and I doubled back to head to the Shop. My mind was racing with what I could do to help out Toothless. Once I got into the Shop, I went to my back room that was covered in sketches and blueprints of various gadgets and mechanism. I lit a lamp, pulled out a pencil & paper, and let my hands go wild like they had a mind of their own. I glanced between my sketches Toothless and my sled dog notes from Astrid a few years back as I drew. When I stepped back and looked at the it, I couldn't help but nod to myself in satisfaction.

I rekindled the dwindling embers of the kiln until I had a steady flame going. I throw some sturdy pieces of scrapped iron into the pit it melt, used tongs to pull intricate iron pieces from the coals. They were dropped onto the anvil, twisted, lightly hammered, and dunked in a barrel. The pieces are carried to my workbench and it laid out, until one by one I had all the pieces in matches on a one-to-one schematic. I hammer the pieces together until it all came together, a metal hind paw.

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(*1) Huzugil Txin Kayus = basically meaning 'being together becomes strength'. Just wanted to drop some more Atkan Aleut on you guys. It may not be the exact translations, but I'm doing the best with what Google will give me.

Other Atkan Aleut Translations used:

Qugax = assistant spirit

Tanaa = place

Agitaadaan = friend

Thanks for all those that reviewed, every little bit helps. If you're new to the story, please let me know what you think with a review. Constructive criticism is accepted, but no flames please. And don't be too shy to check out some of my other stories.