Chapter 9: Freak
Three days later I stumble into the forge, surprised to see Gobber there, "What are you doing here?" I ask.
Gobber looks up at me from the sword he's working on and shrugs, "Eh, dragon training was cancelled today." He says.
I lift up a sword and poke at the dull blade, before dragging the sword over the grinder wheel. "Why?" I question.
"Kids, wanted it." He answers.
I spin the wheel before lifting the sword up to the wheel. Sparks fly off the blade but I dont pay them any attention. What Dragon Training skipped really means is that everyone wants to sharpen their skills so I wont win them again. I'm not stupid.
After helping Gobber for several hours, I pull my gloves up and leave the forge. Toothless will be waiting for me, to be honest, it feels nice knowing someone finally, finally notices my absence. I walk through the village and stare up at the sky. Winter is nearly here and my dad should be back in a few days. It doesn't take two-three weeks to get to Dragon Island, more like a day, but they spend the time looking through the heavy smoke that surrounds the isle.
I'm broken from my thoughts when I smash into something. Pulling back I rub my nose looking up, half expecting it to be a building, instead, I see Quire. I bite my lip and inwardly groan. The twins and Snotlout bully my mercilessly, but Quire and her sister, Hildegard make them look like a ray of sunshine, covered-bathed in rainbows.
"Watch where your going." Quire sneers and I lift up my hands backing up from them slightly. My upper arms wince at seeing them. Our last encounter hadn't ended well for me. I said a few things neither liked and ended up with a dislocated shoulder on one hand and a long bloody gash on the other.
"Sorry, I'll watch where I'm going next time. Good day," I start to move forward inbetween them. Come on, come on, come-Cats.
Hildegard grabs my wrist. "Hang on, Iyn." She commands her high pitched voice sweet and sickly. I pale slightly.
"I said "good day"." I repeat refusing to meet her eyes.
"Come on, we just want to ask you a few questions." Hildegard says and I turn ripping my arm from her grip.
"Leave me alone, Hildegard." I command. I can't deal with them right now. No, no, no, no!
"We heard you were doing so good in Dragon Training and wanted desperately for you to give us a few pointers." Quire says her two large front teeth curving into a smirk.
"No thanks." I say and lift up my hands backing away from them. Quire reaches forward to grab my wrist but pulls off my glove instead. My blood rushes cold and I freeze. "Give me back my glove." I command and leap towards it.
Quire pulls away, laughing. "Just a few pointers." She says her hair swinging in front of her face.
I reach for the glove again with a grunt. Quire keeps it away from me and I scowl heavily looking at her. "Quire."
Her face twists into an angered scowl and she swings knee upwards smacking me in the stomach. A wheezed yelp escapes my lips as I tumble backwards my hands flying to cover the stinging wound.
"Ack!" I wince, doubling over.
"You know what, Dainty Hands," I look up at her through my bangs mustering the best scowl I can through the pain rippling through my chest. "I think I'll keep it. Surely you aren't that afraid of dirt."
Dirt!? Ha! I wish!
"Dainty Hands, Dainty Hands, Dainty Hands, Dainty-" Hildegard sings out.
"Stop it." I grind through clenched teeth.
"La la la la la!" Quire sings tossing the fabric from one hand to another.
"Give it!" I order throwing myself forward. I have to get the glove. I cant hide without it. What if I slip up? What if the powers slip out!? I have to get it.
"Nope! Just a few secrets for the glove." Quire says and I stumble to my knees at her feet the pain in my ribs so bad I cant even stand straight.
Secrets for the glove? You're about to get more than you asked for!
"I wont." I say defiantly. As lethal as my curse getting out is, I will not tell them about Toothless.
"Aw, come on!" Hildegard whines. "You finally do something useful and you wont even tell us!?"
Nope.
Quire leans down next to me dangling to glove above my head mockingly. I cant reach it without falling to my face. "Just one: How did you get that Zippleback into the cage?" Quire asks softly, but her voice is slick with venom.
I wont tell. I wont. I will not- I can't!
I shake my head and pain explodes through my stomach again as Quire punches me. I stumble backwards curling in on myself. "Get. Up." Quire commands.
Tears of pain blur my vision but I refuse to cry out. I wont give her the satisfaction. Wincing, I shove with my gloved right hand and pull myself to my feet leaning over terribly. My ribs ache and the glove is still in Quire's grip. "I'm still not telling." I grit.
"Just one." Quire taunts.
It would be so easy...I'd have the glove and they'd leave me alone. Haedryin Haddock, you are not putting Toothless's life in danger by telling this two giggling gits.
I shake my head again and Hildegard groans in frustration before exclaiming, "You've got to be kidding me! You can back off a Zippleback but you can't even defend yourself, you're such a freak!"
A what!?
Quire nods, smirk twitching on the corner of her lips. She leans forward, "Do us all a favor and find a cliff to toss your fragile self off."
Rage sweeps through my emotions.
Followed by utter hopelessness.
Tears.
Anger.
Shock.
Hurt.
Pain.
Hate.
The only thing I really process through my blurring emotions is as I dive forward and grab the edge of the globe from Quire's grip swinging my fist forward and punching her square in the face.
Quire stumbles backward her nose becoming a bloody ice mess as frost spills over the edges if her face. My fingers pulse with spasms of pain and silence laps over us before I relearn how to use my tongue. "I am not fragile." I hiss.
"You little witch!" Hildegard yells. I ignore her, spinning on my hill and storm off to angry to register any pain. I slam the glove onto my bruising fingers.
I reach the forest before the first sob escapes my lips. I am a freak, a worthless white witch. I'm drowning in my head, but there's no one left to teach me how to swim.
...
When I reach the cove I'm sure my eyes are blood shot. My throat aches but I still swing the fish over my shoulder letting Toothless dig into it. I say nothing, sigh and pull off my gloves grabbing a hammer I left in here a few days ago. I spin it between my fingers.
Freak.
Why is that so true?
Sudden movement draws me from my thoughts and I watch as Toothless jumps on a speck of light trying to catch it. I move the hammer and Toothless follows the light, stomping on it. A small tight smile spreads across my face and I toss the hammer to the side getting to my feet.
"Alright, I was thinking we can try the tailfin today." I declare.
Toothless stops hunting the speck of light and looks up at me. His eyes widen with surprise as if he's finally seeing me for the first time. He moves forward softly and I sigh tossing the hammer to the side.
With a powerful leap Toothless smashes me to the ground. I groan and look up at the dragon. "Toothless." I moan. He looks at me eyes narrowed with determination before he starts to bathe me in his spit.
"Toothless!" I cry and try to shove his face away. The Night Fury isn't done pampering me and proceeds to lick my face, his rough tongue running across the tear tracks left from hours of crying.
After roughly another minute, he gets off of me deciding I am properly taken care of. I sit up and wipe a my shirt my hand pulling away with spit. I grimace in disgust before I twist my torso and flick the spit onto Toothless.
I stand, wiping as much spit as I can off before it starts to freeze on my clothing. Yup, make a mental note to change my shirt later I look up watching slightly amused as Toothless wipes of the spit with his paw with his spit. Licking his paw and then wiping it on his face, I tilt my head to the side, "Hey, bud?" I ask his head turns to me, "You do realize that you're wiping off of you face the same thing you're putting onto it, right?" Toothless stops and then his green eyes widen with shock and he stares at me. I laugh at the expression on his face, I might as well of told him he had less than twelve hours to live.
I roll my eyes slightly before I grab the tailfin and walk over to the dragon. I kneel and strap the fin onto his tail. Toothless pulls his tail close, I frown. "Do you want me to leave it on?" I ask.
Toothless nods and I rub his head leaving frost. I pick up the saddle and put it on him as well before I walk over to the tailfin, I groan, I didn't grab a rope!
I kick the ground in frustration and ice forms around my foot. I watch the ice for a second before lifting up my hands. A blue light hovers around my hands as I create a long flexible ice rope. I attach it to the tailfin before grabbing the other end and climb onto the saddle, "Ready when you are." I tell him.
Toothless jumps into the air and I can feel his powerful muscles working. I hold the ice rope in hand and Toothless glides over to the lake.
Freak.
The word echoes through my head and I freeze pulling the tailfin, half a second to late. I'm thrown right as Toothless goes left, I hit the ground rolling and hear a splash as Toothless lands next to the cove.
I sit up, the world spinning. I lift up my hands and rub my temples my fingers flinching away as my bare skin, meets my head. Unused to the touch of myself. Pathetic. I open my eyes again, the world snapping back into focus.
Toothless bursts out of the water and rushes over to me. I stand up and look at the dragon, "Okay, so that didn't work." I state sarcastically. I climb onto the saddle and lift up my hand, hearing a soft wind blowing sound as I create two small ice rings before I use the same technique I used for the rope to create two more small ropes I attach them to my belt and then to the saddle, Toothless looks as my questionably, "I'll make more permanent ones when I get the the village." I tell him.
I grab the rope and tie it around my left boot. Hopefully, this won't end as badly. I grip the handles on the saddle as Toothless takes off into the sky. I narrow my eyes and pull the fin open looking back at the tail, Toothless flies shakily out of the cove and a good hundred get before Toothless shifts suddenly and we crash.
I land on my feet and turn my braid smacking against my back. I ignore it and weave through the long stalks of grass looking for the dragon.
After a few seconds, I break into a flattened area where Toothless is rolling around purring like a happy kitten. I stare at the dragon the ice rope sparkling in the sun and hopelessly knoted from all the rolling Toothless is doing. I rip a piece off of the grass and sniff it. Catnip. I look up and smirk, actually, Dragonnip
"Toothless?" I ask. He stops rolling and looks up at me looking dazed and disoriented. I laugh openly and put my hand on the side of his head and start to lead the disoriented dragon back to the cove.
…..
That night I slip into the forge, saddle in hand. I walk inside of the dark building silently and put the saddle up against the wall.
I grab some leather and create two thick straps to keep me on the saddle. Well I had landed on my feet today, getting thrown off the saddle seven hundred times doesn't appeal.
I attach the leather cords to my belt and then to the saddle I take the saddle in my hands and shake it back and forth several times. When nothing happens to it I smirk in achievement and then look around me at all of the scraps still waiting to be used. I look down at myself and toss off my vest starting on a flight outfit.
I make an X across my chest and then I look down at wear the straps are hanging uselessly. I take off my gloves and look around to make sure no ones watching before I waved my hands a soft blue glow illuminating from them.
Ice spreads across the leather forcing them to stay together, held in place by a purple snowflake. I grab my gloves and pull them up to my elbow before I detach the vest.
I grab thr saddle and vest tossing them into the back room. Gobber never looks in there, ever. Unless his life relies on it.
I turn and blow out the candle I was using before I walk out of the forge to get some beyond needed sleep.
...
The next day I wake up, my limbs aching from falling off of Toothless so much. I moan and roll over burring my head in the pillow. I should get up and start the day, but I just want to sit in bed. Sometimes, I do stay in bed all day, sleeping. I had nothing to get up for.
Had.
Now, I have Toothless. I mumble something under my breath and sit up forcing myself to get up and move away from the bed. The wood creaks as I stand I nearly hear the bed pleading with me to come back.
I sigh and look up. If I dont win Dragon Training, I should in the least get an award for managing to be late for every single class.
I shove on my boots and race down the stairs not bothering to grab breakfast. I throw open the front door and race outside running through the streets.
I reach the group, panting, Asher gives me a half glance and I pat down fly away I can almost feel are sticking up. Gobber pulls open the gate and we all file into the arena.
"Today, we are doing the Gronckle, again." He says. I bite my lip to hold back my groan. This dragon, is determined beyond reason to make my life miserable. I finger the dragon nip in my hands, releasing a breath. Gobber shuts the gate behind us and he looks at all of us, "Grab a shield and go." He commands.
I walk over to the shields shoved in a corner and grab one, its red and had white stripes on it. Gobber walks over to the cage and the Tuffnut grabs a shield, Ruffnut grabs the other end, "Get your hands of my shield." Tuffnut commands.
Ruffnut rolls her eyes, "Don't you mean my shield?" She asks. Asher groans and smashes his shield onto Tuffnut's head he rips the shield from Ruffnuts grasp.
Tuffnut sits up and shakes his head, "On second thought, this is a pretty good shield." He says and picks up the shield Asher smashed onto his head.
Ruffnut snorts and picks up a different shield. Gobber rolls his eyes, "Alright, are you done?" He asks. The twins nod and Gobber pulls down the lever.
The Gronckle bursts out of the cage and Fishlegs lets out a squeal and running away from it. I grip the dragon nip tighter and Asher's posture jumps to defensive, fingers curling around the axe he has in hand.
I run across the ring and Snotlout looks at Asher, "Hey Asher?" She asks. Asher dodges a blast from the Gronckle and it's goes over his head.
"Little busy, can it wait?" He hisses.
Snotlout picks up her sword and shakes her head, "No,"
The Gronckle rushes at Snotlout and whatever she desperately needs to tell Asher is left unsaid, it whacks it's head against her shield and Snotlout is thrown across the arena.
Asher tenses beside me, blue eyes hardening with determination. I lift up my shield as the Gronckle rushes at us. A blast is fired and Asher somersaults away the blast hitting the ground a few feet away from me.
Oh terrific. The Gronckle races up to me and I drop my shield, lifting up the dragon nip the Gronckle stops mid flight it's eyes widening happily. Wow. I cant believe that actually worked.
I scratch it's nose wave my hand over, the Gronckle follows my hand and falls to it's side, kicking a leg happily.
Asher sits up and looks at me, eyes so wide, they could pop soon. I pull my hand closer and curl my fingers around the nip. Gobber stares at me,"Class dismissed." He says and blinks in disbelief.
I put the dragon nip in my pocket and I walk out of the arena the others chasing after me, "I've never seen a Gronckle act like that before." Snotlout says.
"I know it was awesome!" Fishlegs says. I tense, the idea of people causing my chest to tighten. I look up and spot heavy clouds. Come on, think of an excuse... I beg myself silently.
I back up, "I-I left my axe in the ring." I lie and I look at them,"You guys go on ahead." I say, I turn around and almost smash into Asher he yelps and pulls away from me, before shooting me a furious scowl, "I'll catch up with you." I call and race off to the arena.
…
I reach the forge, grab the saddle and strap on my flight vest before racing towards the woods.
I reach the cove a few minutes later and walk into it. Toothless walks up to my happily he sniffs me and I give a tight lipped smile, "Vest wasn't helping very much." I admit. Toothless seems to smirk and I pull off my gloves, scratching his neck. He purrs and lifts up a leg, leaning in towards me.
I reach over and scratch under his chin. Toothless falls asleep at my feet and lets out a breath of happiness. I stare at my hands and then at my dragon. What on- Soft spot maybe.
I look at the dragon and decide to let him sleep. I'm not going anywhere. I walk towards the pond and rest a foot on it. Ice spreads across the surface, freezing at my touch.
I purse my lips softly, and watch the ice creak as it spreads along the water. After watching the frost patterns for a few more minutes, I close my eyes and release a slow breath. This...magic isn't a curse, not anymore.