Hiccup's walking through the forest, trying to find the Night Fury he shot down earlier. He waited until he was sure Bloom had gone into the forest, and now he's hoping he doesn't bump into her. Because he'd never be able to explain why he's out here.
He snaps his notebook shut angrily - how could he lose an entire dragon?! A mug, or his helmet, sure, but a dragon?!
He hits a branch, it comes back and swats him in the face - and then he realizes the tree trunk is split in half, one end bent towards the ground. Bingo.
He follows the trail - a trail even he can follow, it looks like a dozen Gronckles dragged their bodies through here - and finally finds the Night Fury. He thinks its dead first, until it rolls over slightly - not dead, definitely not dead!
He quickly draws the knife he's had since he and Bloom were about seven as he scrambles around to behind a tree trunk, feeling his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest. Ok, its tied up. It can't hurt me, its defenseless.
He should feel a massive rush of relief, which he does, but he should also feel some pleasure at having such a mighty creature be such an easy kill…so why doesn't he? Must be because I haven't killed it yet. I hope.
Hiccup glances out from around the tree trunk, and finds the Night Fury is still lying there. He slowly walks over, getting close enough to feel the heat coming off the creature - like a good-sized campfire, but definitely bearable compared to the forge - and discovers the dragon is looking at him with a green eye that's nearly all iris and only a sliver of pupil.
Hiccup tries to kill the dragon, he really does - but even after he gets his nerve up as much as he can, he can't bring himself to bring the knife down and kill it. He opens his eyes, and stares into those big green eyes - and he sees his own fear reflected back at him. He sees himself, as unlikely as it seems.
His father would be so disappointed if he ever found out about this, he'd never hear the end of it from Snotlout or the others, but he doesn't care right now. He quickly starts sawing at the ropes binding the dragon, and just cuts through the last one when the dragon jumps on top of him.
He can see the dragon's body swelling up as it takes a breath in - and then its eyes widen in what looks like shock, he must be going crazy, and then it just roars in his face for a good ten seconds and jumps away.
Hiccup scrambles up, unable to believe that he's alive. That the Night Fury basically let him off with a warning and didn't just make him the easiest meal ever. And that's when it really sinks in that he was two inches from a Night Fury and came out of the experience with nothing more than a face-ful of dragon-breath. And then he passes out in a faint, the last thing he hears is another dragon's roar - lighter, like a female's roar. And he's fairly sure it sounds like a Night Fury's roar - just not the one he just survived.
Hiccup get back to the house, not-at-all surprised to find his father already inside - why can't he just climb up the side of the house or something?! - and sitting in front of the fire. He apparently hears Hiccup climbing up the steps, because he turns around - and the world must be ending, because he says Hiccup gets his wish and he's going to Dragon Training School with the rest of the teens minus Bloom.
She's made it clear that she's perfectly content working in the forge, and has no extreme interest in dragon-killing - survival, yes, dragon-killing, no. So, Hiccup gets an axe he can't even really use and is told to stop 'all of this' - which Stoick says while gesturing to all of him, lovely.
What Stoick has no idea of is that Hiccup no longer has any interest in fighting and killing dragons - he can't kill them, he really can't. Be killed, yes - but when the tables were turned back in the forest, he couldn't do it.
Great, now he's stuck in the exact situation he finally figured out he's never going to be good at for a highly unusual reason that may well get him killed if not exiled or something.
He goes upstairs, only to find Bloom waiting in their room - the entire upper floor, just with two beds on either side of the large room - and looking upset and worried. She tackles him in a hug, a rather bone-crushing hug, then lightly whacks him over the head and starts saying how worried she was.
How she came back and he was gone.
How he didn't show up for hours.
Hiccup finally silences her by suddenly hugging her again, saying "I'm so happy to be here, Bloom. So happy your saying all this stuff. All of it. You've got no idea."
Bloom sighs and wraps her arms around him - gentler this time, thankfully - then freezes and asks "What's that smell? Not to be rude, but…what did you get into out there?"
That'd be the breath of an angry Night Fury, Bloom. Not that I can tell you that. "I don't know, maybe it's from the heat? I was nearly cooking out there, that could be it."
Bloom's raised eyebrow says she doesn't for a single instant believe that - but she doesn't question it either, looking like she somehow recognizes it. Truth be told, its near-identical to Brightfire's breath when she nearly killed her this morning. That's how she recognizes it. And seeing as she heard the conversation downstairs, it'll be a simple matter to borrow Hiccup's current shirt tomorrow while he's in Dragon Training school with the others.
Because most of the warriors are going off on another expedition to find the Dragon's nest tomorrow, leaving Gobber to train the new generation in battle against the creatures. After a minute, Bloom puts a hand on each of Hiccup's shoulders and seriously says "Hiccup, listen to me. Do. Not. Die. In there. Keep out of any dragon's way, keep out of the others' ways. Everybody goes for a shield before their weapon, go for it first and fast. Don't try to actively attack them, that'll provoke them into attacking you. More common sense there than anything else, a wild animal will eliminate anything it perceives as a threat to itself."
Hiccup nods, as Bloom's almost never this serious, then asks "You'll…you'll be watching though, right?"
"Right. So will Gobber. Anything goes wrong, I'll throw him in myself and jump in after."
"But…but you don't know anything about fighting dragons either. What could…"
"Nobody hurts my brother. Not Snotlout, not a dragon, nobody." Plus she's pretty sure the dragons in there will listen to her, they usually respond to her voice.
Brightfire was a big exception in the heat of battle, but she almost immediately started acting normally - normally as in like every other dragon she's met has ever acted towards her - once she got a whiff of her scent or something like that.
AN: Hey, everyone! Next chapter! Most of it happens at the same time as when Bloom was taking her own walk in the forest, which is why Bloom heard Toothless' roar and Hiccup heard Brightfire's. In case anybody was wondering, Toothless smelled Bloom's scent - or magic, possibly - on him and that's why he froze in shock. No real wonder why he'd smell her on him, they live together and Bloom's probably attached at the hip at times to him - she's certainly one of only a few people (if I'm being generous, adding Gothi in as we don't see much of her in the movie but she seemed nice enough in the cartoon) who care whether or not Hiccup lives or dies. And Bloom is easily the most attached to him. Anyway, enjoy! Please review if you've got suggestions!