How to Train Your Friend

Chapter 7

Stake & Impale

"It all makes sense now." Hiccup declared to Jorvar has he and the other riders darted through the air. They'd been flying for over an hour, and still there had been no sign of the Nadder herd. They'd flown past Thor Rock and Boar's Head Island, but still nothing appeared. They were beginning to lose faith that they'd find them, but the determination that burned within Jorvar to save the crimson Nadder was more intense than the sun. He encouraged them on, a job that he and Hiccup jointly shared. Jorvar had continued to relay his information and analysis to Hiccup as they flew, and each time Jorvar told Hiccup a new piece of information, Hiccup had one epiphany after another. "Nadders aren't hostile towards members of their families, and no young Nadder would purposefully hide from its mother. The crimson Nadder was always shying away from the rest of the herd. I can't believe I didn't notice." Hiccup shook his head as the wind blew back his hair, and he made sure not to loosen his grip on the reigns that joined him to Toothless.

"Believe me, Hiccup; you've no idea how idiotic I felt when I realize it." Jorvar said.

Behind them, Astrid watched the way they were talking, and if you didn't know that Jorvar had just recently started his training, you'd think that both of them were dragon experts. The inexperience that Jorvar possessed didn't seem to hinder his ability to speak about the Deadly Nadder at all, and each time him mouth opened, only useful information came out. Astrid was also impressed at Jorvar's display of knowledge about the Nadder. Even though she was the only one in the Academy that owned a Nadder, Stormfly, it seemed as though the crimson dragon that had befriend Jorvar had taught him in one fell swoop everything he needed to know. It seemed as though it was enough intelligence to rival Astrid's information on the Deadly Nadder.

"How do we know Jorvar is for real?" Snotlout yelled from behind Astrid. Hiccup turned around and faced the solid-faced Viking. It was clear that Snotlout didn't care about Jorvar or the crimson Nadder, but it was Snotlout, nothing else was to be expected.

"Not offense Snotlout, but I think Jorvar already knows more about Hookfang than you do. In fact, he probably already knows more about all of our dragons than you and Twins combined." Tuffnut laughed from the neck of Bleach.

"Oh yeah…" He boasted, "How many heads does a Zippleback have?" Jorvar looked at Tuffnut with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…two…" Jorvar answered, staring at Tuffnut with bewilderment.

"Wrong…! No, wait…hang on a second…" Tuffnut placed a hand on his chin and appeared to be thinking, of course, no one watching him was buying it. Ruffnut made a noise of disgust.

"It's two you idiot…!"

"I knew that…" Tuffnut exclaimed, but he clearly wasn't trying to compensate for his idle time spent trying to determine how many heads a Hideous Zippleback had. Hiccup had had enough.

"Cut it out you two. You can fight after we find the Nadder." Hiccup ran a list of islands that they hadn't inspected yet, and choice seemed to be narrowing down to only a few. From behind him, Hiccup heard Astrid calling his name.

"Hey Hiccup, we haven't search Dragon Island yet. I know that it's unlikely for them to be there because of all the other dragons, but do you think that they'd have to try and land there anyway. With the Alpha's wing and all…?"

Hiccup had considered the idea that the herd might be on Dragon Island, as it was the closest inhabitable island to Berk. Even though the Red Death had made its nest there and the mountain still had a massive hole in the side, it was still a near paradise for dragons of all species, not just rock-loving dragons like the Gronckle and Whispering Death. The steep slopes and isolated area of the patch of land made many dragons feel cozy, and it was common to find wayward dragons there. The waters surrounding the island were also often filled with Tidal Class dragons, like the Scauldron and Thunder Drum. Perhaps, if they were lucky, the Nadders had flown in that general direction and landed on the island so that their leader could rest. It was a bit of a longshot for sure, but not entirely impossible.

"That's not a bad idea…hey bud…" Hiccup said aloud after Astrid's comment. He then leaned down and patted Toothless under his lower jaw. "Think you could change course to Dragon Island?" Something that few people on Berk knew was that Toothless hated going to Dragon Island, and he only went there for emergencies. He despised the island for all the trouble that it had caused him and Hiccup, and he tried to advert Hiccup from going to that place whenever he could. Toothless however could sense that this time around, their desire to head in that direction had nothing to do with personal interest, and was purely for Jorvar's sake. Toothless roared in response, and he picked his ears up and listened carefully for any sounds that came from the island. After a few moments, he picked up what sounded like a large cluster of dragons coming from the southwest direction of where they currently were. Toothless looked in the direction that he'd heard the noise, and Hiccup smiled. "Alright, he's got it. Let's go, bud." Hiccup flicked his metal leg and changed the direction of Toothless' tail, and they headed off towards Dragon Island. "Don't worry Jor, we'll save her."

"I hope you're right Hiccup." Jorvar said solemnly.

He'd still hadn't figured out how a single young Deadly Nadder had left such an impression on him in only a week. But regardless, his mind was entirely focused on rescuing her, as he'd surely hate himself if he was too late. He grasped Hiccup's back and held on firmly as Toothless and the rest of the party sped up. Jorvar didn't know what he was flying towards, but he had a funny feeling in his gut that whatever was about to happen, it was part of his destiny, and everything had already been predetermined. This wasn't a comforting thought, as he'd hate to think about what would happen should he fail. Jorvar would never subject any human being to a life like the one the Alpha probably had planned for the crimson Nadder, so why should a dragon have to take the position instead? They hurried onwards towards the landmark, and the closer they got towards the island, the more anxious Jorvar began to feel inside.

By the time Dragon Island can into view off in the distance, they had already formulated a plan. The strategy was Hiccup and the others to distract the rest of the herd, namely the Alpha, while Jorvar slipped in on foot and coaxed the crimson Nadder into following him. This was necessary because, if Jorvar's prediction was correct and that the Nadder had a life as a broodmother ahead of her, she must've been extremely close to sexual maturity. This meant that within weeks, possibly days, she'd have to permanently join with the herd. Should this happen, as Nadders are loyal to their families, the crimson dragoness would forcibly have to stay with the herd and care for its children, and then it'd never leave despite its discretion against being there.

They flew towards the land mass with seemingly every wind imaginable at their backing. Each dragon flapped their wings strongly, and every time Toothless roared, hope and determination reignited inside Jorvar's heart. He may not have been a dragon trainer, but he still had the conscience to take care of his friend. So, as far as Jorvar was concerned, this crimson Nadder was his friend, and since it was clearly miserable around this herd, it was his job to save it. This wasn't a case of self-righteousness, anyone that had seen the dragon interact with the rest of its herd could've told you that it was disheartened being there. Jorvar sought to change that, and with the help of the Berk Dragon Academy, he was going to succeed. He felt it in his gut, much like the way Gobber could sense things. Only this feeling was strong, and far more empowering than any feeling Gobber had ever possessed. One might have seen Jorvar speeding towards the island with wings of his own, and a glowing circle hanging over his head.

The crags of the jagged rocks around Dragon Island began to drift past the team, and soon they split apart to search around the island's perimeter. Astrid and Fishlegs went around the southern border, as Hiccup remembered not to pair Astrid with Snotlout anymore after the previous incident. As such, Snotlout went around the northern bend with the Twins, and Hiccup, riding on Toothless with Jorvar along for the ride, sped along the western side. They had arrived on the eastern side of the island, so just at first glance, they could tell that the Nadder herd wasn't there. As they flew on, past the rocky beaches and over the heads of dozens of different kinds of dragons, Jorvar marveled at the diversity that the island possessed. He saw dragons of all kinds living together all on the same island, in near harmony with no quarrels or outbreaks of any sort. It began to make him think about how life had changed on Berk. The sight was similar to how the Vikings of Berk had grown to live with dragons as opposed to killing them. It also made Jorvar think over his inner turmoil. When he had first arrived on Berk the previous week, he was as closed minded as the outer shell of a sea oyster. Now, seeing all this acceptance and compassion, it near melted his heart, and his longing to see the crimson Nadder saved only grew stronger. He was having a change of heart. If there was any doubt in his mind previously about his affection for dragon changing from none to as equals, he was convinced. No longer did Jorvar see dragons as 'monsters' as he'd said when he first arrived. To Jorvar, this Nadder had captured his heart and placed it in thrall. Hiccup could feel Jorvar's heartbeat increase, as they were still pressed up against each other on Toothless back. As soon as the thud of Jorvar's heart sped up, Hiccup could tell everything that was going through his mind, and it reminded him of the way he felt when he first realized that he thought of Toothless as a friend, not a dragon.

Distant roars broke the dragon trainers out of their moment or realization, and it was only a second before each noise was identified. Jorvar leaned over Hiccup's shoulder to listen in better, and when another wave of sound hit him, a small grin was painted onto his face. His heartbeat increased even further, and Hiccup could vouch for Jorvar's assurance. "It's them Jor…" Hiccup said out loud, "They're here alright." Jorvar felt a swelling in his eyes, but constructed a mental dam to hold back his tears of joy. It was decided, he'd cry when the struggle was over.

…

Toothless hopped across the ground in front of Hiccup. Jorvar opted to stay back, as he'd worry he'd give away their position. Hiccup and Toothless both got behind a boulder, and when it sounded safe to sneak a peek, Hiccup got onto Toothless' back and his dragon hoisted him up so he could climb up the rock and peer over. Hiccup grasped the cracks and pulled himself up, and slid onto the top of the rock, but remained out of sight. Jorvar had his fingers crossed as he watched, for if Hiccup fell, the entire plan would be ruined. Hiccup loosened his grip to pull himself up over the top of the rim of the rock. As he did this, he saw the entire herd before him, but thankfully, they didn't see him. He watched as the females groomed themselves and each other, and the males fought with each other, though it was only for practice. The Alpha male was over by the face of the mountain. Hiccup saw that he was on his side, laying down and resting. The teen Viking scanned the area for the crimson Nadder, and soon found her by the shoreline. She appeared to be staring into the ocean water, but whether she was simply gazing at her reflection in a moment of vanity, or she was preparing to take a drink, he didn't see. The next moment, Hiccup ducked back behind the rock and slid down until his feet met Toothless' back. Toothless lowered him back down onto the ground where they were hidden, and he called Jorvar over.

"Alright, the entire herd is here. Yes, even the crimson Nadder. However, the Alpha is also there too. But, we may have a chance if we do this quickly. The Alpha is by the base of the mountain resting, and the Nadder is over by the water." As he was explaining the layout of the herd to Jorvar, the other three dragons and their riders appeared. Stormfly set down quietly, but Hookfang and Barf & Bleach crashed down like they were trying to make a statement. Tuffnut hurled himself off of Bleach and sounded like he was yelling.

"How's it going Hiccup?" Astrid hurried over and smacked him over the helmet, "Ow…that hurt…do it again…" Tuffnut smiled.

"Quiet Tuffnut." Astrid said sternly to him. "Hiccup, I take it you found the herd then?" Hiccup nodded to her. "Alright, then how long do we have?"

"I don't know, but we'd better move as fast as we can. We don't know how long they've been here already, they could leave at any second." Hiccup looked at Snotlout and the Twins. "Snotlout, Ruff, Tuff, you're on." Snotlout crossed his arms and grinned proudly.

"Of course I am." And he spun around to hop back on Hookfang. The Twins started bickering about something irrelevant as they climbed onto their dragon's heads, and they all took off swiftly.

As they flew off, Astrid placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "You sure they can handle this?" Hiccup watched them as they flew over the Nadder herd.

"I do. If anyone can cause distractions, it's them." The word escaped from his mouth just as volumes of noise broke out from over the rocks they were hiding behind.

Hiccup, Toothless, Astrid, and Jorvar ran out from behind the boulder and saw the Nadders beginning to get disoriented by all the sounds. Jorvar saw that even the crimson Nadder was beginning to wobble about by the overpowering boisterousness. The attention was all going to Snotlout and the Twins, and they were having their dragons spew fire and roar to draw the interest of the herd. Many of the dragons looked up and either roared back or spat fire back at them, but Jorvar knew that this was his moment. He ducked around the other two Vikings, past the Night Fury, and sprinted towards the dragoness that was still standing near the water. The rocks he ran over felt like blades digging into his feet as he slowly got closer to her, and before he realized it, the Nadder was before him, staring up at the ruckus. Jorvar waved his arms to try and get his friend's attention, but she, as well as the rest of the herd, was too drawn into Snotlout and the Twins' noises. Jorvar snarled in aggravation, but he knew better than to try and manhandle a Deadly Nadder, especially a female. He quickly looked around to see if there was anything nearby he could use to make her follow him, as the herd's interest in the noise would soon subside. Looking around, Jorvar saw nothing except rocks and sand, Dragon Island in two words. The green-eyed Viking was running out of time, and so the risk needed to be taken.

Jorvar ran behind the crimson Nadder so that his front was facing the Nadder's tail and hind legs, and then he reached down into the water they were standing in and picked up a rock. It was a moment before he threw it, as he didn't want to hurt her. The rock flew from his hand and made contact with the back of the Nadder's head. It wasn't a punishing blow, but it got her attention. The crimson dragon spun around and roared at him, and it began taking steps towards her assailant. Jorvar tried his best to remain calm, but his ankle tucked under a rock and he fell back. Stones met his back as it entered the water, and it stunned him for a moment. Jorvar shook his head, getting his face wet, but he jumped up again. No silly trip would mean the downfall of this entire plan. Jorvar wondered if he needed to throw another rock, but he seemed to have the Nadder's attention. He knew that the only reason she was acting aggressively was because she was disoriented by the noise coming from above. Jorvar turned around in a haste, and darted towards the boulder that he'd been hiding behind. As he turned, he heard the Nadder roar again, and he could hear the splashing noises made by her steps in the water.

Hiccup, and the others watching, ducked out of the way as Jorvar and the Nadder vanished behind the rock. Astrid covered her head as the dragoness stomped past her. While she knew many things about Nadders, she'd never imagined that you could entice one to follow you by making it angry. She'd be sure to mark this down in the Book of Dragons when they got back to Berk.

The change was near instant as they tucked out of range of the calamity. The boulder that concealed them shielded the noise, and made the crimson Nadder one with herself again. She shook her head from side to side, and cooed lovingly. She batted her eyes, and blinked vigorously. It was a moment before she realized who was standing before her. Her heart began to beat quickly, and she let out a playful growl before she nuzzled up against Jorvar. She heard him laughing and felt his hands touch her nose. Jorvar was gentle, as any dragon trainer should be, and he slowly stroked her nose and lower jaw, making the Nadder release a purring noise from her throat. Jorvar was thrilled that he had saved the Nadder, for now that she was away from the herd, there was nothing stopping her from coming back to Berk. There, she'd be safe. The crimson Nadder had her eyes closed while Jorvar continued to rub her nose and laugh, but then he saw her eyes flash open as if they were bolts of lightning.

At first he didn't know what was wrong, but then he heard swooshing in the air, the sound of flapping wings. Before he had a chance to react, the Alpha Nadder crashed down in front of them. He must've seen them run off together. The male dragon stared at them angrily, and it was only a second before his tail spines were sprung in their place. He was getting ready to hurl them at Jorvar, not the Nadder. Jorvar realized what was happening; the Alpha must've recently decided that the crimson Nadder was to be its mate, and it was acting protective over her, even though Jorvar had helped treat the Alpha. Again, Nadders care for their own kind, and while the crimson Nadder didn't consider the Alpha as family, the opposite was no longer true. The crimson Nadder would get caught in the strike if the Alpha flung its tail spines at Jorvar with the dragoness standing so near to him.

Without thinking, Jorvar used a trick to get the Nadder to move out of the way, by scratching her in a certain spot under the chin, with caused her to collapse in place, ducking her down out of the way of the spines. However, there was nothing Jorvar could do to avoid the spines, and one by one they flew in his direction. He could felt the air break as each one whizzed past him, each one coming within inches, possibly centimeters of his body. He quickly pulled his hands up to cover his face, but what felt like a hot needle made contact with his palm as he moved it from his side to protect his face. It pierced his skin and dug into his muscle, and the further it travel the more he could feel it breaking the fragile bones in his hand. The spine had caught Jorvar's right hand, right in the palm area, and had entirely flung his hand back and nailed him against the boulder. Hiccup and the others came around after his scream shattered the other noises that were being produced, and they watched as blood drained from his impaled hand. There was no question, he'd never be able to use that hand again.

The crimson Nadder was snapped out of her euphoric state that Jorvar had caused when his shriek of agony drifted through her eardrums. She darted right back up, and while no other of the Alpha's tail spines had hit Jorvar, it was clear that the one that had hit him would render his right hand useless, quite possibly for life. The dragoness saw her friend in all his pain, and she watched as fluid, the same color as her scales, leaked from his right hand. Nadders look after their own…

Toothless roared and tried to step in, but before he even got an inch closer, the crimson Nadder was in the air, talons on the Alpha's face. She roared violently, and her wings tore through the sky with determination. The Alpha bore his teeth, and flames escaped his mouth. The crimson Nadder dodged it, and she tucked behind him and raked his back and tail, tearing off several spines as she went. The Alpha roared in pain, and the Nadder circled around to the front and spewed fire at his face. The Alpha blundered backwards, having been put on his back foot. He rattled his head, and then took to the sky himself. The dragoness followed him, and there was a wide array of claws and talons beating through the air. The crimson Nadder cut up the Alpha's legs, and clawed at his jaw, and he was beginning to fall down to the ground. The Alpha saw the crimson Nadder coming in for a final blow, her talons wide and ready to maim. He ducked out of the way and made a deep incision through the base of her left foot. The crimson Nadder howled as Jorvar had, but she flapped her wings valiantly and unleashed volumes of fire unto the Alpha's back and head. The dragon's mouth open to roar, but nothing came out. Instead, the monster spread his wings and vanished over the boulder from wench he'd come. The fight was over.

The crimson Nadder set down, but she collapsed after putting weight on her left foot. She was badly injured after that blow, and she wouldn't be able to walk on that foot until it healed. Hiccup ran over to Jorvar and felt his forehead; he seemed to be burning up. He gripped the spine that was embedded in his hand, but it was in too deeply, in his hand and in the rock behind it. Astrid walked over, and together they pulled, but still the spine wouldn't come out. Finally, Toothless walked over and grasped the spine with his teeth and pulled, and with an oozing sliding noise, the spine slipped from Jorvar's hand and onto the ground. Hiccup sat Jorvar up against the boulder, and noticed that Jorvar's eyes were closed.

"He's unconscious…again…" Astrid looked over Hiccup's shoulder as he spoke. "We need to get him back to Berk…now…" Astrid nodded.

The other riders were gathered up and everyone mounted their dragons. Astrid tried her best to direct the crimson Nadder, but she would only fly nearby Jorvar's body. As such, when Hiccup tried to haul Jorvar onto Toothless' back, she quickly snatched him up for herself in her good right talon. Not bothering to stop her, as she had seemingly deemed herself Jorvar's guardian, Astrid directed the Nadder towards Berk, and kept a close eye on her during the flight. Hiccup looked back every now and again while they flew, and Jorvar's hand was still bleeding, seemingly without exemption. They'd need to hurry and stop his hand from bleeding any further, otherwise the crimson Nadder might lose her rider, before she even officially got one. Everyone travelled at their top speeds, and soon, Berk came into view over the orange horizon.