Chapter Two
Dad is fairly predictable, which made it easier for me. He goes to bed by eleven, except sometimes when he's hosting an evening event, and in the mornings, he's up with the sun. Sure enough, the tall grandfather clock in the hall was chiming the hour when I heard Dad's footsteps on the stairs. I turned out the light and pulled the bedcovers up to my chin, just in case he looked in on me. He does that occasionally—check on me once he thinks I'm asleep. I'm not sure why because he never comes into my room or speaks, just cracks the door open and peers in like he wants to make sure I'm still there.
Which doesn't make sense to me because, despite my plan to sneak out that night and go back to my dragon, it would be the first time I'd ever done anything like that. Why would I sneak out? It's not like I have any friends to hang out with.
Dad paused at my door, but after a moment he moved on without opening the door. I laid there for a little while longer, just to make sure he was safely in his own suite of rooms down the hall, before getting up. I did that old trick of arranging my pillows in a line on my bed and tucking my blankets around them, just in case Dad came back, although that seemed unlikely. Then I grabbed my phone and the duffel bag and went to my door.
Cautiously, I looked out. Dad's door at the end of the hall was closed so I slipped out into the wide upstairs hall. It was dark, but moonlight shone through the tall mullioned windows at the stair landing, illuminating the long gallery and the great oak staircase. I crept downstairs, then through the spacious entrance hall past the double drawing rooms, the study, the library and the dining room, to the kitchen at the back of the house.
Fish is plentiful on Berk and our housekeeper Mrs. Holt usually had some in the refrigerator. Dragons typically ate fish, so I selected a couple, put them in a bag, and then replaced them with a few from the freezer. The frozen fish should thaw out before Mrs. Holt needed to cook them so I didn't think she would notice I had taken a few.
There were several dishes of leftovers in the fridge too, soup, stuffed chicken, and roasted potatoes. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten for hours. I was pretty hungry by then and I was tempted to fix a plate for myself. Mrs. Holt probably would notice the missing leftovers but she wouldn't tell on me.
But going without dinner was my punishment and it would be disobeying Dad to eat before breakfast. So I sighed, closed the refrigerator door, and went back to the mud room. I had dressed warmly, in a black mockneck sweater, lined jeans, woolen socks, and hiking boots. But I decided to take a coat too. Even in summer, Berk can be cool during the day and downright cold at night, especially with the sea breezes that blow over the island almost continuously. My lightweight blue jacket was fine for daytime, but for tonight I selected a navy-blue wool pea coat.
Thankfully I remembered to disarm the security system before I opened the back door. The alarm going off would have put a quick stop to my adventure, for sure! Once outside, I used my phone to set it again before I took off past the gardens towards the woods.
The full moon shone almost as brightly as day. If Dad had happened to look out his back window he could have plainly seen me, or at least he could have seen a figure crossing the lawn even if he didn't know it was me. But when I looked back at the manor house, his rooms were dark and I made it to the forest without incident.
The woods were much darker; the thick canopy of leaves overhead blocked much of the light. I pulled the flashlight from the duffel bag and picked my way carefully along the path. As I walked along, I worried about the Night Fury. He had lost a lot of blood, maybe too much. Maybe he had gone into shock. Maybe he was cold or scared or had pulled his stitches out. Sven had said that the dragon would be too weak to fly away for a while and I hoped he was right. If the Fury tried to fly right now, he could rip the shoulder wound open and start bleeding again, or crash and hurt himself even worse.
I was so busy worrying that I forgot to pay attention to where I was going. I tripped over a fallen branch and almost went sprawling. I managed to catch myself but dropped the flashlight. It rolled into a patch of clover at the side of the path.
"Oh, well done, Klutz," I muttered to myself in disgust. "No wonder no one ever wants you on their team."
I knelt down to pick up the flashlight, but then I paused. The beam of light shone on a silver cylinder lying on the ground a short distance away. A thick needle jutted from one end so I picked it up carefully. I looked at it a moment, not entirely sure what it was. Could someone have been in the woods to use drugs? We had a groundskeeper and a landscape crew that took care of the lawns and gardens, but they didn't usually go into the forest. It looked awfully big for humans to use anyway, but then again, I'm pretty naïve about drugs so I wasn't sure. In any case, it didn't belong out here where an animal or even a person might step on it. I unzipped a side pocket on my duffel bag and placed it inside. Then I hurried on, though I was careful to watch my step.
When I finally squeezed the narrow gap in the rock face, I had to blink because in the clearing of the cove the moonlight was so bright again. At once, I realized the Night Fury had moved. He was no longer lying there near the opening. I looked around frantically but I didn't see him. He couldn't have flown away after all, could he?
I started exploring around the cove, searching for him. There were some boulders on the far side of the pool that I thought he might have hidden behind so I started towards them. Just as I reached them, I heard a low growl behind me.
For a second I froze, then very slowly I turned around to find the Night Fury a few feet away, growling and watching me with narrowed eyes.
"Hey, bud. It's me," I said softly. "You remember me, don't you? I'm Hiccup. I'm your friend. At least, I'd like to be."
He stopped growling and studied me thoughtfully.
'I brought you some fish. Are you hungry?"
I set the duffel bag down, and, kneeling, unzipped it, but the dragon didn't like my sudden movements and crouched down, growling again.
I stilled. "It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I've got food."
Very slowly, I pulled out the bag of fish and took one from it. I stayed in a kneeling position as I held the fish out towards him.
The Night Fury sniffed and crept closer. He opened his mouth and I exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, you're—"
Suddenly a row of sharp white teeth popped out of his upper and lower jaws and he snatched the fish from my hands.
"Toothless," I finished quietly.
I fed him the second fish. "I'm sorry. That's all."
Apparently he was still hungry because he came limping towards me. He looked so intent that I couldn't help but scramble backwards. After all, I might want to be friends, but I wasn't sure if he did. But I couldn't go far because I backed into a boulder.
"No, no. That's all. I don't have any more."
The dragon made retching noises and then regurgitated half a fish into my lap. I looked down at it and then back up at him. "Are you sick, bud?"
He sat back, looked down at the fish, and back at me.
I just stared at him blankly and he repeated the motion. I too looked at the slimy, regurgitated fish and back at him.
Surely he didn't expect me to eat it, did he?
But he kept looking back and forth between the fish and me. Finally I picked it up and took a very small bite. It was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted and I almost spat it out. But the Night Fury seemed pleased, though after a moment he started making swallowing motions.
I honestly thought I would be sick and I did gag a little trying to force that bite of fish down, but I managed it. I smiled weakly at the Night Fury.
And then he smiled back! He really did, a funny gummy smile with his teeth retracted again (how did he do that?), but it was definitely a smile.
I reached out to pet him, but he drew back and growled again.
"Sorry. I thought we were friends," I mumbled, feeling a little hurt. But then again, why would he want to be friends with a loser like me?
I looked away, ashamed of the tears that burned my eyes. It was stupid, but it just seemed like no one ever wanted me, no matter how hard I tried. I was used to Dad's constant disapproval and the other kids ignoring or mocking me, but I had hoped that maybe this time I had finally found a friend.
But maybe I had just imagined that bond that had seemed to spark between us.
A warm breath ruffled my hair. I looked up to find the Night Fury right there, staring down at me. The expression on his face almost looked sad and concerned.
I bit my lip and slowly reached out again, ducking my head so I wasn't looking right in his eyes.
And then he pressed his snout into my hand.
For a timeless moment we stood still. Then he pulled away, but crooned softly at me.
"Thank you," I whispered.
Eventually we ended up with him curled on the ground, his head in my lap while I leaned back against the boulder and stroked his head and neck. The night was cold but I didn't need the blankets I had packed. The Night Fury was warm. Gentle heat radiated from his scales and kept me warm too. I worried that he had a fever, but the shoulder wound seemed all right, as far as I could tell. He hadn't pulled the stitches out, at least. And he obviously had a good appetite. He must be in some pain—he had limped when he walked—but it didn't seem too severe. He didn't have any trouble falling asleep anyway
I set an alarm on my phone—I had to be back home before dawn—and dozed off and on for the next few hours.
The dragon and I both jumped awake when the alarm went off. We struggled to our feet and I grabbed the duffel bag.
"I've got to go now, bud. Sven and Phlegma are going to come this morning to check on you and they'll bring you some breakfast. I'll come back later, too."
But the Night Fury didn't want me to leave. He whined and grabbed my coat between his (now visible) teeth.
I placed my hands on either side of his face and leaned my forehead against his. "I know. I don't want to leave either. But if Dad catches me out, I'll be grounded for the rest of my natural life. I'll come back, Toothless. I promise."
He still didn't like it. He was whining as I left, sounding both anxious and cross, but he let me leave and for the second time in twelve hours I raced through the woods towards home.
I was luckier this time. I made it back home without being caught. I checked the security system with my phone before opening the mud room door, and my heart nearly stopped when I saw that someone else had already disarmed it. But when I slipped inside, everything was quiet. I hung up my coat and tiptoed down the narrow side hall.
A light was on the kitchen and I glimpsed Mrs. Holt bustling around, but she didn't see me. She must have been the one to turn off the security system, not Dad, thank goodness.
But he would be awake soon, if he wasn't already, so I quickly hurried upstairs to my room. I was just in time. Almost as soon as I had closed my door, I heard Dad coming down the hall. He usually takes a long walk outside in the morning unless the weather is truly horrible.
He likes to trek about alone so he didn't stop at my door. I would be expected downstairs for breakfast in an hour, but that was fine. Sometimes I didn't like having to get up so early, but right now I was starving. In a few minutes, once Dad had left, I might go on down and help Mrs. Holt cook breakfast. I could sample a few bites while we cooked. I figured that would be all right. It was morning now and close enough to breakfast that my punishment should be over.
I flopped down on my bed and took a deep shaky breath. I had made it!
And I finally had a friend.
Author's Notes: I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but I picture Llangoed Hall in Wales as the Vastley manor house. It looks nothing like the chief's house in the movies, I know, but I'm not sure the modern population would still be living in those medieval Viking-style homes anyway. As the Vastley family has always been quite wealthy, they had a grand mansion built in the 18th-century. To me, Llangoed Hall is beautiful and grand, but also has a warm 'home-like' quality, and it's certainly big enough that Toothless that could easily fit inside and live there (eventually).
To June, I don't know if you're reading this story, but I want to thank you for the wonderful, in-depth reviews! I think you must be reading my mind, lol, and we seem to be on the same track on stories in the 'Smacked' universe. As a guest, I can't respond to you through PM, but I did want to thank you!
