Authors Note: Yay! I present you with another chapter! :)

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Chapter 4: Forbidden Friendship

(Hiccup POV)

Panic.

Breathless.

Terror.

My feet barely make a noise across the ground. My breaths come out as ragged gasps despite my silent urges for them to quiet. The forest is blurring past me as I run through it trying desperately to get away from the dragon chasing me. The Monstrous Nightmare, on the other hand is more than happy to give chase.

Another roar breaks through the air confirming my fears that it is less than a dozen feet behind me.

To be honest, going exploring in the woods probably wasn't the best idea in the dead of night by myself without explaining to anyone where I'm going. I should've, at least left a note. Now, I'm by myself being chased by the dragon most deadly under a Night Fury without anything more than a small dagger for protection. Which really isn't going to do very much if battle comes as the last line of survival.

A root catches my foot and I go tumbling down towards the ground smacking into it with a heavy thump my heart beating in a panicked rhythm in my chest. The dragon's claw smashes down on top of my ribs as I try to whip around and escape its hold.

With a heavy growl teeth pointing upwards the long white sharp objects poking from it's large mouth. It's eyes seem to taunt me as I struggle under its grasp.

Come on!

The Monstrous Nightmare snarls deeply and I still trying my best to stifle the scream building in my throat. My death really is my fault. Will it be painful? The dragon gives another hiss that seems to echo in it's throat. This was a terrible idea.

I squeeze my eyes shut as the dragon takes in a deep breath the gas building up in it's throat. There's a horrible half second where the air silent; as if pitying me quietly. I release the small struggle I'd been building up on and flames shoot past my head causing me to flinch. Are you kidding me!? It's toying with me! Can't it just kill me and be done with it?

The dragon's roar suddenly breaks out and it's claw leaves my chest a gust of wind powering down on me before the claw slashes across my face the dragon taking off to the sky. Agony races through me as my hands fly towards the bleeding wound my throat tangled in so much pain I can't scream. I curl in on myself, my fingers staying firmly locked over my eyes.

I jerk forward in a cold sweat my breaths coming out as ragged gasps as I try to shove the memory to the back of my head. My muscles are tense as if preparing to run again and I force myself to remain steady. It's fine, it's just a memory, just a memory.

I release a steady breath and swing my legs over the side of my bed for a moment before rising to my feet and begin to pace. My feet make little sound against the floorboards and I know the room well enough to not trip over the wall, or anything else lying across the ground.

Hours later the day when I lost my sight, Astrid would find me, I can't remember much of the walk back other than the fact that the Hofferson girl seemed extremely panicked. I was only twelve then almost, Astrid a few days prior had lost her axe in the woods (Amazingly) and I decided to try and find it for her. She found it that morning after the dragon attacked me. I still have little to no idea why it didn't just finish me off.

It got bored? I don't know, I haven't even explained what happened to anyone. All they know is what Astrid does: she found me in a half conscious state pale from loss of blood and dragged me back to the village screaming her head off.

Why did it have to be my sight? It couldn't have clawed off a leg or something? Sight is more important than limbs, Gobber has two missing limbs and he's still cheery all the time.

But why my sight!?

After a few more minutes of going back and forth across the ground I stop. And the Night Fury.

What is it with dragons sparing me? Beyond being partially deaf for a few days, it did nothing but threaten me. But the Monstrous Nightmare...my hands run across my face subconsciously where there's a scar stretched from one ear to the other across my eyes. According to Gobber, they look deader than dead slightly greyed and it's extremely unsettling to stare into for more than half a second.

Not like it really matters to me, I can't see them.

The Night Fury didn't leave the island, I'm not sure how I know, I just sort of..sense it. It's still here somewhere maybe it's stuck somewhere. If it is, there's little to no chance that it can get food and it will starve. I purse my lips slightly at the thought.

I could track it down, after much stumbling, I should really acquire a walking stick or something and give it fish as a thanks for not killing me. Why not? What do I have to lose? I'm not respected in the tribe and it really won't be long before they ship me off to Alvin or something.

Snotlout's the heir, not me because as in my dad's words, "a blind man can't lead this tribe" and Torunn's trying to earn that position, I think Torunn will be second in command and that's about as much as the he'll get to being in charge.

"Hiccup?" The voice snaps me from my thoughts and I lift my head up as if to stare at the person's voice. Female and I place it to it's source in half a second.

"Astrid?" I ask in soft disbelief. What is she doing here? Is it really that late in the morning? I must have paced longer than I thought.

"Yeah." She answers and I hear her move towards me, "Torunn's missing so Stoick asked me to drag you to the Great Hall." She says answering my silent question. Oh, right. Where is Torunn then? He usually loves to mock and gloat around me all the time.

"Okay." I say the sound comes out as slightly awkward and I cringe inwardly as Astrid makes no comment. Without being able to see her facial expressions which I am more than used to by now it's impossible to tell if she's annoyed with me or not.

After dragging myself home last night after being pulled around by Torunn all day, I collapsed onto my bed without even pulling off my shoes. Astrid's arm wounds around my upper one and she pulls me forward, slightly more gently than Torunn usually does but it still digs into the bruises that usually reside there causing me to slightly flinch.

If Astrid notices, she makes no comment leading me down the stairs then out the door towards the open air where she releases my arm. We walk side by side -I navigating by her footsteps- in silence for several minutes. "So," I say breaking the silence and I can almost feel her gaze shift to me uninterestedly.

"Dragon training has started, right?" I ask. I'm not entirely sure, beyond hanging out in the forest, my house, or the forge I never really go anywhere. In those places I'm mostly out of the way.

"Yeah." Astrid answers, "It did a week ago. Snotlout's already managed to get his nose burned." She adds and I can almost see the roll of her eyes, "The twins aren't making much better progress and Fishlegs screams his head off but it's doing okay." She says and I nod slightly. Torunn is a year older than all of us, so he went last year with another group of teens his age. "But, it's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

I snort, "Yeah. No kidding. Pain, love it." I say dryly and run a hand through my bangs.

Astrid makes no comment but her footsteps slow as if she no longer just wants to get to the Great Hall as fast as humanly possible. "Torunn claimed he shot down a Night Fury. Supposedly killed it to." Astrid comments knowing full well that if Torunn did so, I would know to.

I huff softly, "Yeah, he also sported wings and learned how to fly. Amazing how that works."

Astrid laughs a sound I haven't heard...maybe ever. "Yeah. That answers that." She says and gives me a soft punch on my upper arm. I rub the limb and look in her general direction.

"What was that for?" I demand in exasperation.

"Stairs." Astrid says. My eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Wait. You punched me because of stai-ack!" I yelp as my foot smacks against stone sending me flying forward Astrid's arm hand curls around my shoulder stopping my nose from kissing the ground.

"No," She answers and pulls me upright, "There's stairs in front of you."

"Oh." I say and purse my lips lowering my head. We were having a conversation like actual people and I ruined it.

After scaling the stairs and entering the Great Hall Astrid shoves me towards a table and commands me to sit, "Do you want anything?" She asks and I ring my hands together.

"I can-" I start to argue.

"No. It's not a problem Hiccup. What do you want?" She asks and I stare in her general direction for a moment. If I'm going to visit the Night Fury, I'll need something to feed it like fish, so.

"Fish." I answer.

"For breakfest?" Astrid says and I nod.

"Yeah." I say and her footsteps move past me the chatter of the Great Hall quickly drowning out them out. From the bits and pieces I can make out of the conversation, winter is coming and they're trying to debate where to put the animals. Last year the stable collapsed and they don't want it happening again I guess.

My dad seems to be in the center of the group, I can make out his thick scottish accent from a mile away.

A clatter of a dish hitting the table in front of me makes me jump, "Sorry." Astrid says.

"Nope, it's fine. Thanks." I say and rest my hands on the table for a moment. And extremely stealthy.

"Gobber's having us meet, so I guess I'll see you around." she says and I bite my inner lip.

"Yeah." I say. You'll see me.

Astrid scampers off at that and I move my hands across the table before I feel the plate and the fish resting on it. Smirking slightly to myself, I grab the sea animal and swing off the side of the bench holding it to my chest as I move forward towards the door. Astrid took no turns to I imagine the doors should be up ahead.

After dozens of steps my hand presses against the wood to the large doors proving my guess. I shove them open and slip outside into the brisk morning air turning right. The forest is in this direction according to my mental map and unless the entire island went under construction and was revised it will still be in that direction.

Now the only problem I have is, how do I find that dragon?

When I break into the forest about half an hour later, I still have no answer. Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I drum my fingers across the fish for a moment, coming to a halt. After standing still for several seconds, I feel something inside of me pull left.

What the? My eyes narrow and I focus for another moment but feel the same pull towards left. What is that? Moving towards the source tripping over several things and ramming my head into several trees and low branches it gets stronger.

Like something within me is slowly being pulled towards this..thing and building up at the same time. I have no idea what's going on. I don't understand this in the slightest. After what feels like several hours, I slip between two large rocks on the edge of some sort of cove I think. I move forward slowly trying not to smack into another rock, my face has several cuts that will be fun to deal with later.

The pull finally eases in my chest coming to a content stop and I halt with it. Well great, nothing's here and that was a waste of time. Shaking my head and letting out a breath through my nose I turn to walk back through the woods, more like stumble through them when a branch breaking causes me to freeze.

It wasn't me.

Something is behind me, a dragon most likely. Well great.

The fish that's been pressed against me for a while suddenly catches my attention and I turn around holding the fish out towards the beast. My face is probably white with terror but at least it will have something to eat well I get a heads start on a run. The footsteps move towards me and I can feel the dragon's gaze on me. It's too big to be anything else.

Wait. What would a dragon be doing out in the middle of the day? There's no wild game around here and...this is ridiculous! The Night Fury, that is what it has to be. The dragon's footsteps are hesitant as they move towards me but it's clear that it doesn't trust me any more than it did a few days ago.

Hot breath pours onto my fingers and I feel a gum press against my hand, "Huh, toothless." I murmur. "I could've sworn all dragons had-" I start to say before teeth press against my hand for a moment and the fish is sntached from my hands causing me to retract them to my chest.

"-teeth." I finish quietly standing still for a moment. The dragon gives a growl and I hear it move towards me again. My eyes widen and I back up slipping on who knows what landing on my back, I crawl backwards and after several seconds my back hits a rock. "Uh no," I say and feel it leaning over me, "I-I don't have anymore." I choke.

My fingers curl around the dirt and there's a moment of silence before, thnnk thnnk thnnk, Oh, thor, I've killed it! It probably can't eat pre-cooked fish, or it's allergic to whatever fish that was or- a very wet saliva coated fish lands in my lap snapping me from my thoughts.

I blink once a disgusted grunt escaping my lips for a moment before I slowly take the fish into my hands stilling. The dragon gives another soft growl as if it's trying to get me to do something but I can't see what. With a soft sigh I bite my lip and point towards my eyes where I'm sure it can make out the scar running across my face.

A soft growl that sounds unmistakably like an, "oh" sounds.

The Night Fury leans forward and after a moment I feel it's breath against my face causing my to lean away good naturally. I put the fish to the side and slowly rise to my feet leaning against the rock. I feel the dragon's gaze follow me.

Oddly, instead of the terror I should be feeling, I feel...safe. The thought makes me want to smack my head against something several times, safe with a dragon?

I must be crazy.

The dragon gives a soft growl as I take a step forward and I freeze my foot lifting off the ground it taking me about half a second to realize I stepped on the regurgitated fish.

Alright…

My fingers curl in on themselves for a moment and I slowly raise my hand out towards where I think the dragon is turning my head away. Not as if it does a lot, if he decides to take off my hand, I wouldn't see it coming.

Forcing the doubt to the side I close my eyes. I let him decide.

Whether or not to touch my hand.

To trust me.

Because I do.

Cold scales brush against my hand and I take in a sharp breath my eyes snapping open. With a growl the dragon pulls back and doesn't move. I pull my hand back for a moment and his gaze rests on me. Curiosity getting the best of me I move forward resting a hand on his forehead. The Night Fury flinches at my touch but doesn't pull back.

I wish I could see him.

Trying to bury the thought, I run my fingers along his head trying to make it as quick as possible. I can't see him, but I can feel him and that should be enough. My hands run along his spine, past his wings and the second set of wings towards his tail where I feel as single fin. My fingers brush against the other side and Toothless sucks in a breath of pain.

The skin is irregular as if something's been ripped off. Like another tailfin.

That's why he hasn't left yet. He can't. Without the tailfin he can't fly!

And that's going to change. I run my fingers along his real tailfin for another moment my resolve settling. Toothless is going to fly again, I'll make sure of it.

Authors Note: :)

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