Chapter 6: How To Train Your Dragon

"I don't see what's so rare about it. There's nothing impressive about the thing." Snotlout said.

"Yeah, Snotlout's right. Basic claws are okay, but where's the extraordinary bit of it?" Clueless asked.

"Oh, Hiccup, you are hopeless," crowed Speedifist. "You're the daughter of a CHIEF, for Thor's sake. Why didn't you get one of those new Monstrous Nightmares with the six-foot wing-span and the extra-extendable claws? They're really mean killers, they are."

"I have one," grinned Snotlout, gesturing to the terrifying-looking, flame-red animal fast asleep in his basket. "I think I shall call her FIREWORM."

"What are you going to call your dragon, Hiccup?" Tuffnut asked.

Hiccup's dragon took that particular moment to give a huge yawn. He opened his mouth wide to reveal a flickering, forked tongue, very pink gums, and sharp, shark-like teeth that were as white and bright as his claws. When he settled back down, a corner of the dragons mouth curved up into a sly smirk. Hiccup -who had yet to look away from the sleeping dragon- smirked also.

"Toothless," she said under her breath.

"What?" most of the guys surrounding her asked.

"Toothless," she repeated a little louder.

"Why in Woden's name would you call it that?" Snotlout questioned her. Still wearing that smirk, Hiccup looked at the boys.

"If I am hopeless, than he is Toothless." she said shutting the basket lid lifted it onto her back again, and she walked off. Soon Fishlegs caught up with her and walked by her side.

"Sorry for messing up the mission by the way. You shouldn't have taken the heat from Gobber." Fishlegs apologized, after they had left the baskets with the dragons in them under their beds at their homes.

"Don't worry about it," said Hiccup. "it wasn't your fault, it was your allergies. Anyway, it could have been worse."

Fishlegs and Hiccup were going to the Great Hall to look for the book Gobber had recommended: How to Train Your Dragon, by Professor Yobbish.

"As it happens," confided Hiccup, "I know a bit about dragons already, but I haven't the foggiest clue how to start training one."

"I would have said they were virtually untrainable. I'm really looking forward to getting some tips" Fishlegs shrugged.

The Great Hall was a hullabaloo of young barbarians fighting, yelling, and playing the popular Viking game of Bashyball, which was a very violent contact sport with lots of contact and very few rules. Hiccup and Fishlegs found the book tucked away in the fireplace, practically in the fire. Nether of them had noticed it before.

The book had an unusually thick cover with huge golden clasps. It was written in elaborate gilt lettering. Other than that It was like any other book cover, the title, the author, some bit about it winning an award all on there. Hiccup opened the book to it's first page, and as usual it was a dedication -apparently to Professor Yobbish's mother- a copyright, and a disclaimer. Then a note from the Hairy Scary Librarian.

Hiccup turned to the next page; there was an about the author page, but they skipped reading that, like anyone else would. Finally they got to the first page, and this is what it said:

CHAPTER THE FIRST

(AND LAST)

The Golden Rule of Dragon-Training is to...

YELL AT IT

(The louder the better.)

The End.

"THAT'S IT! THAT IS ALL THAT THERE IS IN THIS DAMN BOOK!" Hiccup shrieked, as she threw down the book in frustration. She rested an elbow on her palm then put her hand to her forehead.

"I don't see why you're going on about it. I'm the one that can't yell; you could out yell Gobber if you wanted to." Fishlegs reassured, patting the female Viking on her shoulder. Hiccup gave a ragged sigh and looked at Fishlegs.

"Yeah, but I don't want to be like these idiots." she explained.

"Don't worry Hiccup, you're sure to come up with some sort of plan. Hopefully one that works for both of us." Fishlegs nudged her side with his elbow. Hiccup smiled at him.

"Thanks Fishlegs," she said. "It looks like we're going to have to work out our own method of dragon training."

The next morning, Hiccup checked on the dragon under her bed. He was still asleep.

When her mother, Valhallarama, asked her at breakfast, "How did Initiation go yesterday, dear?" Hiccup said, "Oh, it was fine. I caught my dragon."

"That's nice, dear," Valhallarama replied vaguely.

Stoick the Vast looked up briefly from his bowl and boomed, "EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT," before getting back to the important task of shoveling food into his mouth.