Eating Chicken
Training a dragon can be hard, especially when it involves not eating someone else's pet!
'ASTRID!' yelled Tuffnut 'Your Thor damn dragon is at it again'
Astrid groaned and walked out of the training area on the Edge.
'What is it now? Can't you see I'm busy training?'
'It's Stormfly. Ever since you started feeding her chicken, she has been eying up Chicken.' He replied, holding up a certain brown Chicken who currently was minus some tail feathers.
'I only just saved her from becoming her snack…again!'
'Oh, no sorry Tuff, I have been trying to make her understand that not all chickens are on the menu for eating. I'll sort it out, I promise.'
'Make sure you do, it really affects her.' Growled Tuffnut as he stormed off.
Chicken squawked a sound of indignant fury.
Astrid left to find Stormfly. 'Tuff is really attached to that chicken, Thor knows why. But he's right, Stormfly does need to understand that Chicken is off limits. But how to get that through to her?' She thought.
She found Stormfly playing with Toothless.
'Hey girl, come here please' she beckoned.
Stormfly looked at Toothless and wandered over to Astrid with a squawk.
'Now girl, I hear you have been trying to eat Chicken again.' She said, trying to sound serious.
However at the sound of the word chicken Stormfly got excited and chirped and danced about expecting food.
'No, no, no girl. It's not feeding time. You have been a bad girl, trying to eat Tuffnuts pet. I have told you, that his Chicken is not for eating.'
Stormfly settled down and looked at the ground, crestfallen and sad.
'I know girl, but you need to learn, you can only eat chicken I feed you. You mustn't go hunting it yourself.
Toothless meanwhile was listening and let out a snigger, which Astrid heard.
'Don't you encourage her' she snapped.
'Hey, Astrid, what's the matter' enquired Hiccup, who had heard the admonishing tone towards Toothless. 'What have you done now Bud?'
Astrid sighed. 'It's not him, its Stormfly. He was just winding her up about trying to eat Chicken and proceeded to tell him about the incident with Chicken.
'Ah…. Yes, that would be a problem. I don't get it though none of the other dragons so much as try to go for Chicken or any of the chickens for that matter.' Answered Hiccup. 'Maybe we can try and get them used to each other, so that Stormfly sees her as a friend and not lunch?'
'Do you think Tuff would let us borrow Chicken for that?'
'Well, if we promise to keep an eye on her I don't see why not. We need a solution either way.'
Turning to Toothless he asked 'Bud, any chance you can help make Stormfly understand not to attack Chicken?'
Toothless looked thoughtful and then nodded and began chattering to Stormfly.
Stormfly POV
Stormfly was sad, her rider was annoyed with her for trying to eat the Chicken. But she always feeds them to her, so what's the problem with this one. They all look and smell the same anyway.
She had been trying to be good and save the girl from having to catch and kill the chickens for her by hunting them herself. She knew her rider hated having to gut and pluck them before cooking them.
She listened as the two humans spoke and then heard the warble from Toothless as he began to explain about Chicken and how much she means to Tuffnut, the long haired boy.
Stormfly explained that she didn't realise the chicken she was going for was his and that she had trouble differentiating between all the others on the island.
This seemed to give Toothless an idea and he ran off to the two humans.
'Whoa bud, what's the matter' Hiccup laughed as the Night Fury jumped around the two of them.
Toothless tried to explain, without success, until he walked up to Hiccup and sniffed him, then wandered to Astrid and sniffed her. He then ran off and sniffed out one of Hiccups spare legs and brought it back to him.
'What… no now is not the time to play fetch Toothless.' Hiccup snapped.
Toothless shook his head and pointed at the leg, sniffed it again and pointed to him and nodded.
He then did the same again and pointed to Astrid and shook his head.
Hiccup looked confused, then suddenly understood.
'The smell!' he shouted 'I don't smell like you do' looking at Astrid
Astrid had a frown on her face 'OK Hiccup, so I smell, I have been training and haven't had chance to bathe yet! So what'
'No, I'm not saying you smell…. Though you could do with a wash I guess. No. What I mean is we smell different. Maybe that's what we need to do to Chicken, give her a unique smell, so Stormfly recognises her!'
'Oh…. Right, that makes sense I suppose.' Astrid said, looking slightly sheepish now.
Astrid then punched Hiccup on the arm
'Ow, what the….'
'That's for saying I smell, mutton head.' She snarled.
Then she grabbed him and gave his a kiss on the cheek. 'That's for being so clever and coming up with a solution.' She smirked with a wink.
They ran off, with Stormfly following to find Tuffnut and Chicken at the boar pit.
'Tuff, can we borrow Chicken, we have a plan to stop Stormfly trying to eat her!' yelled Astrid.
'Don't say the E word Astrid' yelled back Tuff 'she has rotisserie issues' as he covered Chickens ears.
They explained their plan to Tuffnut, who nodded with agreement.
'What do you think Chick? Are you prepared to try what they are thinking?'
Chicken clucked happily and Tuffnut handed her over 'be careful with her, she is sensitive.'
Astrid and Hiccup, rubbed a watery paste they had made up from water washed through some of Tuffnuts clothes, to add his scent to Chicken. They then carried Chicken over to Stormfly and Astrid held her out with a warning.
'Stormfly, this is Chicken, get used to her scent and no eating!'
Stormfly sniffed and squalked looking at Chicken uncertainly, then looked at Tuff and sniffed him.
She squalked again and came close to Chicken, who was shaking and licked her before backing off.
'I think it's worked' said Hiccup. 'Let's try something else.'
He returned with a cooked piece of chicken, which he placed on the ground and put Chicken next to it. Chicken looked slightly horrified at this but remained still as Stormfly came over, sniffed both of them and ate the piece of Chicken but left Chicken alone.
'I think we may have solved the Chicken issue Astrid' Hiccup exclaimed triumphantly.
'Good girl Stormfly.' Astrid praised as she stroked her. 'Now, we will try to make sure Chicken smells different, but can you try to only eat chicken that I give you? No chasing the other at all!' she ordered.
Stormfly squawked and nodded, showing that she understood and would not chase or eat any live chickens just to be safe.
Astrid turned to Hiccup. 'Thanks for the solution. I think I'd better take Chicken back and tell Tuffnut that things are Ok now and apologise properly.'
Carrying Chicken back to Tuffnut, Astrid saw the long-haired boy and called him over.
'Chicken!... how is my feathered friend, all your feathers still attached?' He queried as he looked at Astrid.
'Heh… yes Chicken is fine, and Stormfly known not to go after her anymore.' She scuffed her foot sheepishly in the dirt.
'Tuff, this doesn't come easy to me but…. Sorry.' Said Astrid. 'I thought Stormfly understood, and that mistake was on me. I know I can be hard on you and Ruff for not always paying attention or being serious, but this time it's my fault.'
'Hey A. Its no problem, its all sorted now.' Tuff smiled. 'Chicken forgives you, don't you girl?'
Chicken squawked a sound of agreement and ruffled her feathers contentedly.
'Anyway, its all good now hey?' she grinned.
Tuffnut nodded. 'Sure Astrid. See yah later, got a boar pit with my name on it!' he yelled as he rushed off.
Astrid shook her head. Gods those two were crazy, but she was glad to call them friends.
Arriving back to Stormfly she gave her a pat and fished out some chicken for her.
'Here you are girl. Sorry for shouting at you earlier, here's your favourite!'
Stormfly eagerly ate up the chicken she was offered and nuzzled her rider contentedly until Astrid left to get food herself.
As Stormfly settled down for the night she thought to herself.
I am fortunate; I have great friends I the other dragons and the best human a dragon could wish for. Chirping she nestled down to sleep, until the next day.