Finally I managed to publish this chapter. I am so sorry it took so long but I really had no inspiration for this instalment. It went quite a bit differently to what it was going to be, but it didnt change the story I have in mind at all. It enhances it I think. Please enjoy.

Once the small boy and black dragon reached the great hall he was met with a heavy atmosphere. It was like descending to the bottom of the ocean after spending time in shallow waters; for the mood of the Vikings there was heavy and menacing, a downwards pressure that Berk had to keep suspended above the sea.

Hiccup suddenly felt practically all eyes settle on him as he entered. As if by some kind of instinct he needed to find comfort in his dragon, who began to growl minutely within his gullet. His eyes were narrowed and his wings unclenched from his side so that he could pull his boy closer towards him.

Hiccup felt extremely nervous now, so he pressed his side towards Toothless as they walked further into the hall. If Hiccup wasn't so stubborn he would have walked straight back out; but he knew he had to be present whilst their guests remained.

He had to uphold his pride as a chief's protégé. And Hiccup, even though wasn't practically chief material, knew to uphold his own and carry out his duty with his head held high.

Which is what he did. Even though he was inwardly shaking, feeling coils that were the result of his nerves linger inside his stomach he marched deeper into the throng of Vikings.

As he walked, pressed closely to Toothless with his hand on the great dragon's neck, he could hear the whispers follow in his wake.

Whispers of, '...the dragon conqueror…,' '…the chief's runt son..,' '…is that a Night Fury?' Followed him as he walked through. Hiccup swallowed a lump in his throat.

Scared forest green eyes swept through the ocean of burly people, trying to avoid looking into any set of eyes. He was looking quickly, furtively, until he spotted the table they were sat at. Once he spotted them he walked a little quicker, all the while avoiding everything else.

He felt highly relieved once he reached the table that sat his father and Gobber, who were already tucking into the feast laid out before them. They were quiet also, simply eating and shooting furtive glances about them, watching out for anything that may fall ill.

Everybody knew that this conference of different island nations wasn't called together under friendly circumstances.

As Hiccup neared the table he noted his father look at him and his rigid countenance seemed to slip slightly. It was a tiny, barely noticeable thing to spot but Hiccup spotted it.

"Ah, I'm glad you could finally make it son, we saved something for you." He gestured to the plate of meats in the centre of the table, along with some bread and root vegetables. Hiccup only had his eyes set on the meat though.

"Thanks dad." He sat down next to Gobber, facing his father. He sat near the wall, facing towards the entrance. Toothless sat beside him, not laying his bulk onto the floor. He sat on his haunches, his head rising higher than the height Hiccup sat, watching like a hawk and swivelling his pupils around so that he was looking out for danger.

Hiccup noticed that the dragon's obsidian pupils would become slits when he caught someone watching. Obviously only Vikings that lived beyond the shores of Berk watched, and Toothless, along with the other Berkians, knew they were in for a tough few days.

Toothless simply wanted his best friend to stay safe. He would loyally watch over him for as long as it took.

Hiccup placed his palm on the dragon's nose, instantly calming the large reptile. He purred in his throat, telling Hiccup all would be well, as well as calming his frazzled nerves. His eyes slowly became adorning squares once again.

"Here bud," he reached to the plate, taking out a large portion of meat that was a mix of Lamb and Rabbit, tossing it to Toothless who gulped it down in one large swallow. He did a little burb as he licked his lips. Hiccup giggled, already feeling a little less nervous.

As he went to dig into his share of food Gobber and Stoick had finished, although they didn't leave. They watched Hiccup chomp on the nicely cooked meat, his cheeks full and his eyes gently closed in joy. He was humming as he ate, obviously feeling relieved to feel food in his stomach again.

"How's yer project goin' then?" Gobber asked.

Hiccup swallowed a large mouthful of food and answered quickly before he went in for the next bite. "I'm done already." He took another bite, chewed and then swallowed. "It helps keeping a record of my past designs. I simply had to follow the blueprints, giving them a good once over and improving them as I went." He looked down at a bone, seeing there was no meat left on it. He looked slightly disappointed for a moment before he tossed it onto a plate full of discarded bones and went for some more. He went for the fish this time.

He picked up a large Haddock, placed it on his own plate, and then put the plate that contained about five more fish, placing it on the floor for Toothless. He grinned his gummy grin, seeing the fish. His teeth popped out and then he delved into the action of swallowing the lot.

"Slow down son. " Stoick made a calming gesture with his hands, seeing the speed his boy was devouring the food. "I can't understand how you can eat so much."

Hiccup paused mid bite. He pulled the portion of fish away from his lips and stared at it, contemplating. Stoick could see the way Hiccup scrunched his nose up slightly and his eyes gleam as he turned the thoughts over in his mind.

"To be honest dad, I'm not so sure myself." He cast his gaze onto his plate, seeing the scraps of food that were still present. "It's just that, after the voice fiasco I feel really hungry for some reason." Hiccup turned his green gaze onto his best friend, who was in the process of swallowing a whole fish. "It's a bit like I have the appetite of a dragon."

"Seems like yer appetite is more ferocious than even Toothless'." Gobber then chugged a whole pint of Meade down his throat, some of the amber liquid spilling down his chin, before he spoke again.

He slammed the empty jug onto the table, creating a resounding thud. "I see you won't even touch the veggies, and you certainly never were that fond of red meat or chicken. Only fish!" He quirked an eyebrow at the pile of bones Hiccup had previously stripped with his teeth.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I dunno,' I feel like things are changing around here, myself included." Hiccup felt a stab through his chest after he said that. Usually things like this led to him becoming a disappointment for his village.

Changes brought invaders to their shores simply because they ended the war with dragons. Now they seem to be under the radar of every tribe within the archipelago, seemingly with Berk at the centre. Hiccup could tell it was because of their kinship with dragons.

"I shouldn't worry too much about it son. I know that whatever happened it wasn't your fault. We just need to be wary from now on." Stoick patted Hiccup over his soft auburn locks. Hiccup instantly felt a little less apprehensive.

Hiccup knew that the strengthened link between his father and himself was due to Toothless. Shooting him, befriending him and bringing down the Red Death started a landslide of events that all rolled into place. It was a change brought on for the better. Hiccup owed so much to his dragon.

It was at that moment Hiccup could not stifle the massive yawn that came upon him so suddenly. Both Stoick and Gobber watched him. Hiccup finished and then saw the strange looks on both of the older Vikings faces. He didn't really pay much attention though as he suddenly felt exceedingly lethargic.

"Hey guys, I think I'm gonna return home." Hiccup stretched his arms out, feeling stiff from working all day. He had to be up early so that he could try the new tail out, and possibly the flight suit again. "I will see you tomorrow." Hiccup waved them off as he began to saunter back out of the hall. Toothless faithfully followed behind.

Hiccup was now too tired to pay much mind to the nervous and angry muttering of the other tribes that were still left in the hall. The gazes seemed to smoulder and the only person to notice was Toothless, who growled menacingly, his pupils were tight slits like a cat. The growl had the instant effect of a naughty dog falling docile after getting scolded by its master.

Stoick and Gobber watched the progress of the sleepy teenager, watching him pass amongst the tables and benches, open the large doors and thus, disappearing into the darkness of the night like Loki fades into shadows.

"Did you see that Gobber?" Stoick asked, his voice grim.

"Yeah, I did." Gobber's eyes were wide, his blue eyes puzzled. "Did I see fangs? And that glow at the back of his throat?"

"I'm sure of it, Hiccup is hiding something!" Stoick scratched his chin that that was hidden under his voluptuous red beard before his eyes went downcast. "I just thought he would share his burdens with me more."

Gobber saw the sad look in his chief's eyes, seeing the hurt and confusion swimming within. He placed a reassuring hand on his shoulders.

"Hey, I'm sure Hiccup has a lot to deal with. Ye know how skittish he is as of late. I'm sure he will confide in you when he feels ready. Just give the lad some space and he should come to ya."

Gobber saw a tiny smile light up Stoick's hopeful face. He nodded in affirmation. Stoick was always glad Gobber was there to advise and comfort him. The man had an uncanny knack of understanding his son even though Gobber wasn't the father. Stoick sometimes wished he could perceive things the way the single handed man did.

"I hope your right Gobber."

Hiccup meanwhile, was walking slowly through the village watching the sky as he walked. Even though he was wary he still spent the time casting his gaze to the watchful stars above. He felt slightly euphoric seeing the beautiful and mysterious constellations, as if they held endless wisdom that could be imparted upon the small boy.

He stopped in the central plaza, his feet pausing on the cold grey stone. He stretched one lanky arm out towards the heavens, opening his palm and extending his fingers as if he could touch the inky black.

Toothless watched patiently, feeling the heavy emotions the boy was giving off. It was like a thick musk, bombarding the black lizard in riptides. The dragon was silent, feeling happiness, grief, wonder, sadness, awe, confusion. It was a strange mix of opposites. Toothless could not understand his boy's boundless emotions.

He could feel the spikes of negative emotions pierce his thick hide. He could feel glowing warmth of positive feelings covet over his scales. Amongst all these emotions Toothless felt an underlying, powerful emotion. An emotion that was more powerful than the others.

Longing.

Hiccup was watching the skies with a haunted look on his face. Toothless did not know what he was looking at, but he thought he could see sadness in Hiccups face. It was like he was looking for something.

But in the sky?

Toothless suddenly felt something, something otherworldly within the vicinity. He looked all around, seeing nothing moving. He even used his senses to locate objects within the dark; coming up with nothing physical. It was neither good nor evil but it made the dragon feel nervous. He didn't like it.

He turned to his boy again, seeing that he had brought his arm back to his side. Although he was frozen in place, his face still upturned towards the heavens. His eyes were wide open and instead of the steady green emeralds his eyes were glowing a pale golden iridescence.

Toothless began to growl, growing increasingly worried about his friend. He stood in front of him on his two back legs, trying to block out the sights of the sky with his massive leathery wings. It did nothing but cause Hiccup to step to the side in a manner that made him look like he was bewitched.

Toothless moved with him, returning to the ground with all four paws. He didn't want to hurt his rider so he nudged him and poked him with his claws. He tried his hardest to bring Hiccup back to earth, but to no avail. Hiccup continued to stare into space.

Toothless shrieked, his eyes frightened. He attempted to nuzzle his rider when he felt a cold presence nearby. He tuned his ears, listening hard. It was coming from the shadows of the houses and seemed to slither like a snake. It was fast and it didn't stay in one place for long.

Suddenly Toothless fell silent, frozen in place as he felt the thing in his shadow. Toothless looked to the ground, seeing his shadow remained unchanged. He still felt whatever was there but it froze him.

Suddenly it moved into Hiccups shadow, but it didn't move again. It remained there, wrapping dark tendrils around the boy who remained unresponsive. Hiccup didn't move, his golden eyes still staring into space, his body petrified and still.

"Heehee, even the mighty Night Fury is frightened within my presence. How can you protect this boy if you can't move from there?" The thing seemed to move over Hiccups skin, wrapping around him. Toothless remained frozen, his eyes cast on something that seemed to rise out of the shadows.

Toothless saw a mass of black; humanoid in shape with its hands clutching the boy's cheeks, peering into his eyes with omniscient looking eyes.

"Cute little Viking," It ignored the dragon for the moment, addressing Hiccup with its silky voice, "Soon you will awaken, making a choice that will change your life forever. Haha, this is going to be so entertaining. How much grief am I going to see? I can't contain myself."

Toothless really wanted to move but his limbs wouldn't listen to his brain. He felt like a doll, with eyes that could see out without moving.

"Look at your eyes boy, so pretty! They resemble dragon eyes but more godly. Yes, it shall be soon..! The thing still had its hands over the boy's face, peering into those golden irises. Toothless felt anger rising within his body, how this creature dare touch his friend! How dare it threaten his boy!

"And when the truth is revealed I expect much disarray and carnage." The thing laughed an eerie cackle, "and when it does, it will be all your fault! Ahahaha."

That was it! The spell that came over Toothless snapped like a bow string. He lunged at the thing, his wings flaring and his teeth bared. He grasped Hiccup with his claws gently and whipped his tail around, aiming for the black mass.

His tail met nothing. The thing was gone.

"Toothless!?" Toothless primed his ears and looked down, his pupils still formed into catlike slits. They enlarged when he saw that Hiccup was back looking confused.

"Whats wrong bud, why are you holding me like this?"

Toothless ignored the boy, whipping his head around and peering into the dim torch light. He saw no one but that didn't stop him from being on edge. He hissed viciously.

Hiccup felt a little frightened by the state his friend was in. He noticed the dragon was sat on his haunches, his arms and wings encircling his rider in a tight and possessive embrace. It was like the dragon was protecting him from something.

Toothless was still looking around but Hiccup could not see out from the arms and wings. He felt so small when the dragon was holding him like this.

Suddenly they both heard the flutter of feathered wings and the caws of ravens. Toothless snapped his head around, growling at the birds.

"Toothless, will you let me go! Whats wrong?"

Hiccup was beginning to fidget, trying to wriggle out from the mass of powerful limbs. Toothless kept his limbs wrapped around the boy, keeping him safe. He waited for the sound of the birds to leave before he returned his attention to his boy.

Hiccup felt a vibration from the vicinity of the dragon's chest. He heard a low rumble coming out from the dragon a worried and deep lilt to the sound.

"Bud, are you okay?" Hiccup placed his palm on the Night Furies chest, feeling his heart rate beating a mile a minute. Hiccup recoiled his hand, shocked at the fierce rate of the pounding muscle. He had never before felt so much fear coming from the creature.

Whatever had happened Hiccup could not remember a thing. He felt like a slice of his life was cut away, as if a part of time was chipped out. He didn't understand the dragon's irrational fear and couldn't fathom that Toothlesses fear was over the confused teenager.

Hiccup then heard two sets of footsteps behind him. Toothless whipped his head back up, seeing Stoick and Gobber approaching. They were walking quickly, seeing the boy and dragon from the great hall acting odd.

Toothless growled at them as they approached, tightening his hold over Hiccup and causing the boy to feel smothered. "Toothless!"

"Hiccup, Toothless!" Stoick huffed. "Whats wrong with you? I thought you went home!"

"Dad?" Hiccup was quiet, contemplating what had happened. He felt scared for some reason, as if some big event had just happened. He still felt the heartbeat of Toothless, pounding into his side.

"Dad, I'm not sure what happened but Toothless was spooked by something."

"Spooked? Was it an Eel?" Gobber enquired.

"No, it can't be! We are in the middle of the village and there are no fishing huts around here. No, whatever it was it spooked him more than an Eel could." He felt it was something even he couldn't comprehend. It took a lot to frighten a dragon, especially a Night Fury.

Stoick came closer, wary of Toothless who was watching him like a hawk. "It's ok, you can let him go." Stoick held his hand out to Toothless who didn't budge. When Stoick saw he wasn't letting go of his son he chose a different tactic.

He placed his palm on the dragon's nose, copying the methods of his son. "It's ok, I will look after him."

Toothless felt a little on edge but he saw the conviction in the red haired man's eyes. He saw a conviction similar to his rider. He knew he could entrust Hiccup to the man.

With a little reluctance he finally let Hiccup go. Once he escaped the warmth of his dragon the boy stretched his arms out, feeling a little glad to breathe the cold air.

He turned back to Toothless and placed his forehead against the black beasts own. "It's okay bud. Thanks for protecting me." He said it even though he didn't know what he was being protected from. "Let's go back home."

Gobber watched the whole exchange. He thought it was strange, how protective the dragon was of the boy. What had frightened even a Night Fury? How come Hiccup didn't seem scared himself? What had happened?

He noticed that he was being left behind, the boy and dragon already on their way back to the chiefs residence. Stoick turned back to Gobber. "I will have to speak to him tomorrow, find out what is happening with him."

"Good idea Stoick. Remember, be tactful. Ye don't want to incur the wrath of tha' Night Fury." Stoick laughed slightly at the sarcastic but light comment.

"Your right Gobber." He sighed. "This is going to be a long couple of days. I will see you tomorrow Gobber."

"Aye, Night Stoick."

Stoick left, following his boy and dragon into the night towards home, leaving Gobber with his thoughts.

"Something is changing, but I don't know whether it is for better or worse."

No one within the plaza noticed the many different sets of eyes that were watching the scene that had just unfolded.

I don't know when the next chapter is going to come out as I am off to Edinburgh during the weekend. I had to push myself to get this chapter out before I left. You never know, I may get another out before I go, but im not promising anything. I'm sorry if you guys were expecting the meeting to be within this chapter, but I promise it will come soon.