"English"
"Norse"
==TST==
Dragons attacked the night before.
Lilac cowered back in our cave. I climbed to the top of the cavern, glaring around them.
That next morning I made my way towards where Toothless crashed. It made a loud noise the night before. Lilac had been nervous the moment we'd heard it.
As I walked in the noon light of day, I was casually reading the English-to-Norse booklet. It would be so much easier if my arrival here gave me knowledge of the language. Because apparently having Lilac stay a dragon wasn't a big enough screw over. The powers that be had to throw in language barriers, ffs. The only translation spells I knew either required a book for reference, or gave floating subtitles. I didn't want to have to be staring at the ground during a conversation. Apparently that's 'rude'.
There had been no sign of Toothless yet. Well except for the animals that had run off to do their own thing. Other than that, no sign.
Which was fine.
It was fine.
Everything was fine.
Nothing to see here.
No need for worries.
Just...this place would be more fun with-
There was the snap of a twig.
My body froze, waiting for if the noise came again.
Fortunately for me, the noise that came up wasn't of another broken twig or of a pouncing dragon.
It was of a viking boy, grumbling loud enough for half the forest to hear.
I snorted, in delight.
Climbing up a tree, I hopped the branches overhead to find him.
He wasn't too far away. I could barely make out his shape as I hopped on the branches to follow him.
Let me tell you, my inner fangirl was freaking out at being in the presence of Hiccup of Berk. Despite doing this job for two centuries, I could still get starstruck. It happened a lot more often that should be allowed.
Seeing Hiccup in person was still trippy. No none-Traveler has really seen a cartoon character done in real life. The characters look exactly the same, yes, detail wise. Problem was the details could get lost in the real life graphics. Maybe in cartoons, that one character has a single bit of hair that never stays flat, but when I meet them it just looks like another bit of hair if you're not paying attention to it. Like cosplaying them, but more subtle. A punch in the face when you recognized them.
Hiccup was scratching in his notebook. Here on Berk, I looked around the age of fifteen. Older than Hiccup at his fourteen- but he looked like a thinner child going through puberty. So...normal, I guess.
He clapped the book closed. "Uggh, the gods hate me." Hiccup complained in Norse, I realized with a jolt. "Some people lose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to lose an entire dragon."
Holy shit, holy shit!
I can figure out the language!
Pulling up my Infinity Bag, I began sorting through it. There was a notebook somewhere in here- where I wrote out the script. It was more for personal reasons- when I thought I'd understand the language. I could note the differences in the scripted line and what they ended up saying, to see what ripples could come of it.
Soon enough I found it. I turned a few pages to where Hiccup found Toothless.
He'd just been hit in the face with a branch when I began whispering what he had spoken. I hopped across to another branch as I did so, as the next tree was destroyed by Toothless' crash.
The Viking boy seemed to realize very fast that something was wrong with the area. He saw the destroyed tree, and the dirt path that came with it.
Hiccup made a slow walk along the new path. I considered hopping down to follow. A few good reasons why not to included: sticks or other noises. Staying up on a tree branch was the easier place to read my notebook from.
Hiccup gasped out when he saw what was over a hump at the end of the dirt path. He ducked to avoid the dragon. Putting together that he wasn't on fire, he peaked over the hill. Hiccup's expression widened when it clicked.
We both stared at Toothless, allowing ourselves a moment to admire him. Toothless in a realistic form was awe inspiring. While I couldn't make out his scales, I was still able to see some of the lines along his body. The ropes holding him gave me a vague idea of what everything was.
He is the goodest boy who has ever lived.
"Oh wow. I did it. I did it." Hiccup spoke, while I followed along in my journal.
"Oh wow. I did it. I did it." I repeated, under my breath.
"This fixes everything."
"This...fi- fi-ex-es-" I winced at my pronunciation. "Every-"
"Yes!"
"Fuck!" I slapped my hand over my mouth. For a single heartbeat I thought Hiccup heard. His own shout of joy seemed to cover it up, thank the Author. "Yes." I whispered to myself, over and over again until I had it down perfect.
Hiccup-however- was in his own little world. He posed proudly over the Night Fury. "I have brought down this mighty beast!"
Toothless moved.
Hiccup jumped off, falling against a boulder.
I giggled into my shoulder.
When Hiccup got himself back on his feet there was a dagger in his hand.
That stopped me laughing.
Hiccup stumbled closer to Toothless, raising the dagger higher. Toothless peeked out his narrow glass green eyes at Hiccup, startling the pubescent Viking.
"I'm going to kill you, Dragon." Hiccup spoke. While not memorizing the spoken words, or even looking at the notebook, I couldn't ever forget those words. "I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking."
Sitting up against the tree trunk, I prepared myself in case I had to launch myself out of the tree. My presence had changed events before. Nothing like one of these fixed points, as Hiccup letting Toothless survive here was vital to everything else that happened in this world.
Trust, but verify.
"I am a VIKING!"
Toothless stayed prone, though clearly tense. His reptilian eyes watched Hiccup as a predator that now knew what it was to be the prey.
Hiccup held his ground for a long moment.
I stayed on the tree, taking in the fact that I was watching history. While also preparing myself to step in should anything go sideways.
Toothless rested his head on the ground. He was giving into his fate, as Hiccup was giving into his.
Or so it seemed.
It was as if seeing the fight go out of his prey that made him see what was going on, Hiccup caved. He lowered his dagger clad arm, staring down at his future best friend.
"I did this."
"I did this." I repeated in a relieved breath, while watching Hiccup cut Toothless out of the ropes. "I did this. I did this. I di-ed tis...fuck I said that wrong...umm...I. Did...This. Alright. Got it. Go Morgan, you epic genius."
At the end of my little rant, Toothless was free.
The dragon leapt out on the Viking.
That was quite the hiccup to his plan.
...hehehe
Toothless stared down. His green eyes focused now. There was no more of that defeat. Just an understanding. Hiccup had spared him. While Toothless probably had no idea that Hiccup was the one to shoot him down, he knew Hiccup was the reason he was still alive. Though I had few insight in the literal mind of dragons, it was clear Toothless understood owing someone a debt.
Hiccup didn't do much to fight Toothless, besides cowering beneath his claws. He tried to jerk away from the giant dragon's teeth as best he could. It was...almost funny to see someone the same age as a middle schooler be funny. Had this been a prank or trick, of course. In practice it was much less funny...though pinned on the drawing board for later.
Toothless roared in his face.
I flinched- my back thumping the tree.
The dragon jumped away. He tried to fly away, quickly realizing something was wrong. He was able to glide- barely- through the trees.
Hiccup pushed himself to his feet while shaking. He made it one step before falling to the ground in a dead faint.
I put the notebook away, climbing down from my tree. "I'm going to kill you...I am a Viking...oh wow I did it. I am a Viking. Oh wow I did it. Man this language feels weird. Yes. Yes. Y-es. Yes-yes. I've got 'yes' down pat."
==TST==
Not long after, I was climbing down the rock wall.
"Hey Princess!" I called out.
The purple dragon ran out. She waved up at me, beaming wide. "Hi Mom! Was everything okay?"
"Sorta. Toothless is coming." I told Lilac.
My daughter quirked her head. "Seriously?"
"Yep."
Lilac blinked, surprised. "He's an idiot."
"Hiccup too, dearie." I pointed out with an assuring smile. "Oh! I learned some Norse words today. I overhead Hiccup, and thought it would be a good idea to just copy what he was saying, then compare to my notes." Lilac blinked, as if she hadn't understood a word of that entire thing. "Wanna hear some?"
The confusino shifted into glee. "Yes please!"
The two of us gathered around our makeshift campsite. My daughter rested her head in my lap.
"Okay. Repeat after me, exactly. Yes."
Lilac scrunched up her face. She spoke a word, but it came out as a dragon's growl.
I paused. My back sitting up straighter. "Try it again."
Lilac did so. Again, it came out as a growl.
"...one more time."
Lilac looked up at me. She sat up, looking at me with concern. "Mom-"
"Just do it. Yes."
My daughter swallowed. She spoke once more, and it came out a growl.
Well that settles it.
I pulled my lip under my teeth, worrying the skin there. So I stood up, turning away from Lilac so she wouldn't see my no doubt open expression.
"Mom?" Lilac called. I stayed in my position, my thoughts turning and running so incredibly fast. "Mom what's wrong?"
Before I could open my mouth to speak, a large black dragon fell into the lake behind with a heavy, loud flop.
==TST==
AN: Well...this was late. I blame school.
Thanks to yukicarr and grapejuice101 for favoriting
Thanks to yukicarr for following
