GENDERBEND! HTTYD!

The Viking and the Dragon Maiden.

Chapter Six; Books and Downed Dragons.

Ash's POV.

Thank Thor! Night finally came around.

I had managed to sneak out of Stormfly's Cave, who was sleeping soundly. I knew I couldn't tell the others. The Twins can't keep quite to save their lives, Snotlout was too confident, and even at the sight of something interesting, Fishlegs would go nerd crazy and loose it.

So I'm flying solo.

After checking a few caves, I finally found the one that seemed more... humane.

There was a hammock, a small rock slab with burnt grass on it, I'm guessing Toothless slept there, and a desk with several books, and millions of hand drawn pictures on the wall. Mostly wounded Dragons, what their conditions were, and how to solve it.

One showed a Snafflefang with three limbs and a wooden and metal leg in place of one. A Raincutter that had a sliced up wing, which was patched up by comfortable looking leather. The last was a Hobblegrunt, with pale eyes, and what could only be described as a leather headband with antennas, to tell where it was going.

She's smart, I'll give her that.

Looking at the books, I saw one with the title Book of Tracker Dragons and of course, perked my interest. Maybe it can help us how to defeat them faster. I opened it, and the first Dragon looked like a winged Scarab Beetle.

Rumblehorn.

Fire Type: Flaming Rock Missiles.

Abilities: Tracking, Disaster Detecting.

Natural Habitat: Woods.

Attack: 11.

Speed: 7.

Armor: 12.

Firepower: 11.

Shot Limit: 4.

Venom: 0.

Jaw Strength: 5.

Rumblehorns always have their snouts to the ground, sniffing around for something edible. They can be aggressive, but are also friendly towards their allies. They are highly intelligent and determined. They run and charge like rhinoceroses. Rumblehorns can be very caring and protective of those in danger, able to sense a tidal wave coming, and would try to get everyone out of the area. Rumblehorns can be solitary and elusive creatures that are rarely seen due to their keen sense of smell.

Well, that was useful. I suppose. I turned the page, and was surprised to see Deadly Nadder as a Tracker Class Dragon. I thought that Nadders were Sharp Class. I continued reading.

Deadly Nadder.

Fire Type: Magnesium Fire.

Abilities: Spine Shot, Incredible Sense of Smell, Enhanced Speed.

Natural Habitat: Temperate Rainforests.

Attack: 10.

Speed: 8.

Armor: 16.

Firepower: 18.

Shot Limit: 6.

Venom: 16.

Jaw Strength: 5.

Stealth: 10.

In terms of behavior, the Deadly Nadder is very fast and dangerous. These Dragons rely on their keen sense of smell and hearing, often instead of their vision, when hunting. Nadders have a tail that is covered in poisonous spikes, that can launch at will with devastating speed and accuracy. The Deadly Nadder is one of the most beautiful Dragons, and unfortunately, it knows it. They is well-known for its vanity and constantly groom themselves. When befriended, they can be very affectionate, especially to pretty creatures, and would even groom them too, not wanting the beauty to go away.

I could only gape at the text like a fish. The way Hicca writes them, it like we don't have to fight them. Like we can... befriend them... be a part of their herd... their family... Were we... wrong?

A light green Terrible Terror shot out of the darkness and snatched the book out of my hands, place it back on the pile and hissed at me, as if yelling 'Your trespassing! Get out!'

"Take it easy, little guy!" I held my hands out in surrender, as he looked at me cautious and curious eyes. Then did something I really didn't see coming.

"Why are you here?" it-he asked, in a scratchy voice. I froze. The Dragon just spoke in Norse.

"Excuse me?! You can speak Norse?!"

"Some of us can. Now, answer the question."

"I was just looking around." I answered quickly. It continues looking at me with cautious and curious eyes. Before glaring.

"Liar. Your searching for something. Perhaps information for DESTROYING US! Without giving us a chance!" he yelled angrily.

I got angry at his words. They were the ones stealing from us!

"Excuse me?! Your the ones raiding us!"

"Only Infernia's Dragons, and they don't have a choice in the matter!" he screeched. I stopped. Infernia? Who or what was Infernia?

"What are you talking about?"

"There is a tyrant Dragon, a Red Death known as Infernia, though very few call her the Red Queen. She strikes fear into the hearts of every Dragon in sight! She's the one forcing all the Dragons she was suppose to protect to raid villages like your Berk. Any Dragon that doesn't, gets eaten themselves! I know, I almost got eaten myself if Toothless hadn't have saved me!" he stopped and lowered his head as shiny tears slid down his muzzle and dripped on the wooden desk.

All I could do was stand there. A tyrant Dragon Queen? Forcing Dragons to raid? Eaten alive?

It was then that I realized something. That we could possibly be...wrong about Dragons, about everything. I looked over to the Terror, who seemed less 'terrible' crying. I reached my hand out and hesitantly placed it on his head, before rubbing it against his smooth scales. He stiffed a bit in surprise, before leaning into it and purring, before pulling away and smiling at me.

"Thanks. I needed that. My name is Sharpshot, by the way." I smiled.

"I'm Ash." we smiled, before I looked at the books for a split second, before looking back at him. He smiled knowingly.

"Come on! I'll read with you!" I smiled. Maybe we will get along.

The whole time, all we did was talk, read and learn from one another. And as we did, I started to feel...different. I didn't know why I was feeling like this, but, it felt-

A booming roar echoed across the Nest, stopping my train of thought. I looked to Sharpshot, who look serious and alert.

"Somethings wrong. Come on!" he leaped off the desk and flew towards the exit, I followed after him. I saw the others come out of the caves, drowsy and rubbing their eyes, as their Dragon escorts yawned a little before sobering up and looking at the sky. A large circle of Dragons were below the Slumber Caves, and in the middle, I saw seven Dragons, including a certain black Dragon.

Stormfly came up beside me, and knelt down for me to get on. I stare at her for a moment, before sighing and climbing on. I felt eyes at my back, and I knew the others were looking at me, before I heard clambering behind me and I knew that they got on their Dragons too. Wait? Did I say their Dragons?

Never mind. Stormfly took off, and then landed inside the circle, and I hopped off of her back, and looked to see Hicca tending to a wounded blue Thunderdrum. He had a wicked looking tear in his wing, and it looked like a Dragon bite that came from something the size of a mountain! Was that the 'Infernia' Sharpshot told me about?

"What happened?" Tuffnut asked, "Why is everyone so worried?" he looked as confused as the rest of us, before Sharpshot crawled over to the Boneknapper that was with Hicca when she landed. They talked in their own language, before nodding to one another and Sharpshot ran over to me, and I knelt down to his eye level.

"What happened?"

"Hicca and the Dragon Heart Captains attempted to spy on Infernia, but got caught. Thornado got grabbed by the wing. He looks badly hurt." He looked over to the Thunderdrum, which I'm gonna guess is Thornado, and he looked absolutely miserable for nearly loosing his wing as Hicca checked it over, before she sighed in relief.

"Your lucky she only got the edge of your wing and not the whole thing, or your whole wing would have been ripped off and you wouldn't fly again. Just take it easy for a while, and it'll grow back in no time." she told him, and he seemed to relax a little, but still looked troubled. I would be to if I nearly had a limb ripped off. Hicca turned to a snow white Dragon that I remembered from the Book of Strike Dragons called a Snow Wrath.

"Frostfright? Can you and Waterspout help him?" the white Dragon nodded. She roared gently to some Speed Stingers, who nodded and rushed over to the wounded Dragon, and wriggled under him, lifted him up, and speedily ran off to where Waterspout's cave was, Frostfright following close behind.

Hicca's POV.

I watched as the Speed Stingers carried away my friend and ally. He is a great friend, and a brilliant solider. I would feel horrible if he... I didn't want to say it. And I wont. He is the strongest, toughest, most stubborn Thunderdrum I've ever met. He wont go down without a fight.

I turned to the Outsiders, and I was surprised to find them, mostly Ash and Fishlegs, looking a little concerned.

"Is everything okay?" Fishlegs asked, and I smiled at his concern.

"Everything will be fine. I'm sorry you were all woken up, but everything's fine now. Let's all go back to sleep." they didn't seem to want to protest, because they wordlessly hopped onto my friends' backs, and flew off. Ash looked at me with a new light in his eyes. A light of sympathy and comfort, before flying off to the Slumber Caves.

I stood there, confused for a split second, before Toothless nudged me, and I woke up. I smiled, petting him, before climbing on his back, and flew off to my own cave, Sharpshot right behind me.

I was about to get ready for bed, when I noticed that on my desk, the Dragon Books were spread out or opened. Confused, I closed them, put them back in order and looked to Sharpshot for an exclamation.

He seemed a bit nervous. This can't be good.

"Uh... the Ash kid may have stumbled upon them and decided to take a look." I was about to scream. Why was he doing that?! "Relax! After a good talk to him, and telling him about Infernia, he seemed to... I don't know, but it's good." he insisted.

I could only stare at him. Was he serious? Ash was taking it...nicely? Is it possible that the Outsiders could learn to live with Dragons?

Sharpshot seemed to know what I was thinking and smiled. "Sleep on it." and waddled over to his bed.

I yawned. Maybe a nice nap would do me some good.

Got it!