Disclaimer: I do not own Cressida Cowell's characters from How To Train Your Dragon, they belong to her and DreamWorks.
AN: Well, here we are again on another wonderful Thursday, my third time updating, and also the first of this month. I hope you like what I am doing with this story, especially our favourite dragon :P Thanks goes out once again to the readers and reviewers 3
I swing my leg over Toothless' back and just settle in comfortably when he crouches low to the ground and lays his ears flat against his head. Alarmed, I look around for the cause of his apprehension and press myself as low as possible in the saddle. Toothless automatically raises his right wing to shield me from whatever it is, so I know what direction it's coming from. Because of him doing this, the only reason I know what it is when it arrives in our clearing, is the cursing that explodes out of the silence.
A group of people had found us. They had walked into a pit with a very angry Night Fury standing in the centre of it. Who were they? By the cursing, I could guess. My father, Gobber, and my peers from dragon training. Astrid hadn't just run away, she had gotten people to come back with her; the specific people that I didn't want to know about my own personal dragon training.
"What have you done with my son, demon?" My dad roars at Toothless. I feel my usual urge to voice a sarcastic comment, something along the lines of, 'he can't answer you, seeing as he's a dragon and all,' but I don't. My dragon extends his wings fully to hide me completely and to make himself appear more threatening while he growls deep in his belly to keep them all at bay. Believe me when I say that it had the desired effect. Despite the fact that they are all Vikings, it had been bred into them to fear a Night Fury above all else and to run if they ever came face to face with one. If Toothless were any other dragon species, he would have been surrounded and fighting for his life by now, if not already breathing his last breath.
Before things got any uglier, I raise myself up in the stirrups and gently push aside Toothless' right wing so that I can be seen. Gasps escape the group in front of us as I emerge from behind the great black curtain. The dragon beneath me shifts his weight uncomfortably, preparing himself to fly at the smallest threat. A slight vibrating sensation starts in his ribcage that I can feel between my calves that I've never felt before. As it grew in intensity, I know it can only mean one thing; I pat him on the neck as reassuringly as I can. I can't help but feel touched at his readiness to protect me that he's shown in the past half hour. "It's OK, buddy," I say to him, loud enough for the others to hear as well. One of Toothless' ears flickers in my direction, but he doesn't relax his stance, or stop the vibration in his chest that meant he was preparing to use his fire again.
There is utter silence in the pit while us humans regard each other, them with disbelief and shock, me with caution and tension. Ruffnut and Tuffnut are staring at me with their mouths wide open, Snotlout has an expression of fear mixed with something akin to admiration, Fishlegs is looking at Toothless in amazement, Astrid with contempt and Gobber with a blank face. But the expression on my dad's face confirms everything for me. Underneath his great, red beard his face is twisted into a black rage at the sight of me and my dragon.
"Hiccup. What are you doing on top of that beast?" he asks me, "Get off, now." He looks like he is about to completely fly off the handle at me.
If there were ever a time to stand up to my dad, now would be it. Gathering myself, I look him square in the eye. "This is Toothless dad. He's my dragon, my friend. Dragons are not what we think they are. We've misunderstood them. Yes, they kill us in their raid for food and destroy our homes, but we've killed thousands of them –"
I don't get any farther than that. "Misunderstood? Yours? Have you gone insane?" Stoic the Vast yells at me, spitting in rage, "If you think that dragons are your friends, if you've thrown your lot in with them, then you, boy, are no son of mine! You are a traitor! You do not belong with true Vikings, no, you don't belong period. You are not a Viking." With that he raises his axe and throws it directly at me.
I flinch instinctively but I needn't have worried. The fire that Toothless had been holding back bursts forth and destroys the axe in a shower of blue fire and molten metal. With a jerk of his wings, we're airborne and I have to grab onto the saddle to keep from falling off. I adjust the tailfin so that we can hover above the group below us, safely out of weapon's range but still within hearing distance.
I suddenly have a moment of clarity as I look down at them all. True courage is this. Standing in front of the people you thought were your friends and your family and showing your real self to them. Even though my father had rejected the real me, he now knows what I am. I had spent my life pretending to be something I'm not and meeting Toothless had shown me who I really am. And now I have shown them. I may be leaving, but that is not cowardice. I really don't belong here. I must find my own way, my own place in this world.
"Goodbye," Is all I say to them with a cold voice, hardening my heart to prevent sadness from ripping it to pieces. I urge Toothless to fly away and switch positions on the fin to compensate. Without a backwards glance, we leave Berk behind. No one calls me back.
We fly away from the humans standing in the clearing that all have their muzzles hanging open and the angry, red, large one with the loud voice. I remember from past raids that he is the flock's leader, and from the way my human reacted to his presence, I suspect he is his sire as well.
Vikings, as they call themselves, define their very culture and make their living by killing my kind. To befriend me, to save my life, to leave with me went against everything these humans are raised to believe. I am not dumb enough to not realize the sacrifice that my hatchling had just made to be with me.
He just deserted his flock. Like me, he is alone, separated from his own species.
My hatchling has found his own definition of courage this sun. Pride radiates from me towards him as my wings carry us through the sky with ease, but I know that he cannot feel it. I only hope that the tangled emotions pouring out of him will not destroy him...
I will take care of you, hatchling, as you have done for me.
AN: Sorry that this is a shorter chapter, I hope the content somewhat makes up for it :P What do you guys think? Let me know! I love reading your reviews :P Or show the love and add my story to your favourite list :P That always makes me happy to see, as well! Until next time.