Chapter VIII

The dragons were sleeping hanging from a tree like bats. Rina and I were siting on two rocks across each other. Rina was staring at the sleeping dragons for fifteen minutes now.

,,I think they are mates." she said suddenly.

,,What?" I asked confused.

,,The dragons. I think the black one is a male and the other is female. Look at how they're sleeping." she said looking at the dragons again. I turned around and saw what she meant.

The black one had his wing around the gray one and the gray one had her head under the black one's. They looked like they were cuddling.

,,They are so cute." she said with a squeal.

,,If you find furious and deadly cute then yes, they are cute." I said throwing one rock in the water. We grew silent again.

,,Hiccup?" called Rina.

,,Yes?".

,,Do you... I mean... Do you like Astrid?" she asked suddenly and made me loose my balance.

,,Huh?! What, what gave you that idea?" I asked sitting back with a small blush on my face.

,,Do you?" she asked again. I looked at her and saw that she wanted a serious answer.

,,Well, um, yes. I guess I do." I said looking at the ground avoiding her eyes.

,,Oh. But why?". I tought for a few seconds.

,,She's, she's great. She's a good fighter, a good person and she's really beautiful." I said getting more and more uncomfortable. I looked up and saw some kind of sadness in Rinas eyes. There was another silence and then she popped out a question she newer did before.

,,Do you think I'll ever find a date?". I looked at her not knowing what to say.

,,Sure you will. You're smart and pretty. Every guy would want to be your boyfriend if you didn't hang around me so much.".

,, Believe me. I would rather be single forever than be with some jerk." she said smiling again. She was very cute when she smiled.

,,You'll probably stay single. All Vikings are some kind of jerks." I said taking a stick from the ground.

,,Not all of them." she said quietly.

,,What?" I asked not hearing what she said.

,,It looks like Toothless and Heartbeat are awake." she said standing up.

,,Toothless and Heartbeat?" I asked confused.

,,The dragons. I named them. He's Toothless and she's Heartbeat. I think it suits them." she said when Heartbeat came to her to get patted again. I was kind of jealous. I unconsciously started drawing Toothless on the ground.

,,Hiccup, don't freak out but Toothless is coming this way." said Rina standing a few feet away with Heartbeat. I continued drawing even when I felt him behind me. He watched carefully what I was doing and I continued, trying not to scare him off. When I finished he walked off. A moment later, he reappeared with an entire sapling, drawing lines in the sand. Rina, Heartbeat and I watched him while he rushed here and there, making haphazard lines in every direction. Finally, Toothless dropped the tree and inspected his work. He seemed pleased. I stood up looking at the scribble. I couldn't belive he tried to copy me. I was actually happy for that. I tried to walk around but I accidently stepped on a line and he growled at me while Heartbeat narrowed her eyes at me. I quickly retreated my foot and the growl stopped. I did it again and he growled again.

,,I don't think he likes it when you're destroying his work." said Rina while giggling.

I walked over the line and there was no growl, just a pleased hum. I stepped carefully between each line, turning round and round until I unwittingly bumped into Toothless.

Toothless snorted at me. Once again, we're face to face. I slowly extended my hand, trying my luck once again. I could feel Toothless hesitate. I turned my head away and closed my eyes, letting him decide. To my amazement, Toothless bridged the gap and pressed his muzzle against my hand, letting me pet him. I felt really relived he didn't reject me. But then he looked like he was confused by himself and ran off to a bolder. Heartbeat followed him.

,,Way to go, Hiccup! You did it!" Rina said hugging me.

,,Yeah." I said a little prouder of myself.

We returned home. Everyone had gathered at the top of an abandoned catapult tower, toasting campfire food around a roaring bonfire. Goober was telling a story how he lost his hand and leg again.

,, ...and with one twist he took my hand and swallowed it whole. And I saw the look on his face. I was probabbly delicious. He must have passed the word, because it wasn't a month before another one of them took my leg." he said taking a sip from his cup.

,,Gross, dad." said Rina putting her diner down.

,, Isn't it weird to think that your hand was inside a dragon. Like if your mind was still in control of it you could have killed the dragon from the inside by crushing his heart or something." said Fishlegs imagining it.

,, I swear I'm so angry right now. I'll avenge your beautiful hand and your beautiful foot. I'll chop off the legs of every dragon I fight, with my face." he said trying to impress Astrid but she just looked grossed out.

,, Un-unh. It's the wings and the tails you really want. If it can't fly, it can't get away. A downed dragon is a dead dragon." said Goober with his mouth full. I quickly turned my head to Rina. She had a horrified face just like me. We needed to talk.

,, Alright. I'm off to bed. You should be too. Tomorrow we get into the big boys. Slowly but surely making our way up to the Monstrous Nightmare. But who'll win the honor of killing it?" taunted Gobber and then hobbled off. Rina and I did the same thing just a few seconds later.

,, It's gonna be me. It's my destiny. See?" we could hear Tuffnut say.

,, Your mom let you get a tattoo?" asked horrified Fishlegs.

,, It's not a tattoo. It's a birthmark." said Tuffnut.

,, Okay, I've been stuck with you since birth, and that was never there before." were the last thing we heard coming from Ruffnut before we entered a small room at the back of the stall.

,,That's why..." began Rina.

,,Yeah. He can't fly because he's missing a peace of his tail. I tough he was just injured or something but without his tail he'll never fly again." I said realising the horrifying truth.

,,Heartbeat can fly but probably doesn't want to leave him. If they go down, they'll go down together." she said feeling sad and angry.

,,We can't let them die there." I said picking up a few drawings of weaponry and scale models. I put them on the table with my sketch book adding the missing tail on the drawing.

,,I have an idea, but I'll need help." I said looking at her. She had a determined look in her eyes.

,, Just tell me what you need.".