A.N.: For app users this is part 2 of chapter 6.
Toothless curled up next to the bed his head resting on it, listening to any change in the boy's breathing. Stoick sat in a chair across from them watching his son and the dragon. He saw that even though the dragon had closed his eyes, he didn't fully commit to sleeping. Every time he shifted in the chair or got up to get a drink, the dragon's ear (not trained on his son) would twitch and follow him.
The next morning, both Stoick and Toothless were startled by a large thump on the house. In unison they jumped up and out the door. The Monstrous Nightmare was leaning down off the front. He looked at Stoick for a moment but returned his gaze to Toothless.
"I see you still those arrows in your side. You should have those taken care of young one." He commented.
Toothless looked at his side. He really did need those taken out. "What are you doing here?" Toothless snarled. "I told you to leave."
People started to gather around, unsure of what to do about the two dragons. Stoick quickly stepped to the group, soothing them and answering any questions pertaining to what was happening behind him.
"I only came back to tell you something you may find interesting. There are some rumblings about you in the mountain. From what I've heard, the Queen has figured out what's going on. You are in danger young one. And somehow they have found out about my helping you as well. Your mother gave her life to stop the rumors before, but I fear that I will be sent after you. Like I was for her. If it comes down to it, kill me. You and the boy are the future. A peaceful one. One I have only dreamt of since first meeting you and him." Toothless grimaced. He didn't like knowing the Queen was onto him.
Hiccup woke up slowly. He sat up awkwardly, his arm dully throbbing at his side. He stood and made his way to the open front door. The Monstrous Nightmare was flying off again, as he joined Toothless' side and scratched his chin.
He looked to the dragon's side. He dropped to his knee and softly pulled on the arrow in his side.
Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry bud, but I have to pull these out. Or you'll get sick or something." Toothless grit his teeth as Hiccup gripped the arrow.
"Alright. Three. Two. One." Hiccup swiftly pulled the arrow out. Toothless whined loudly but was relieved at the sight of it on the ground. Hiccup moved to his leg and gripped the other.
"Three. Two. One." Again Hiccup pulled quickly. The arrow pulled free just as the first. Hiccup stood and returned to Toothless front. He leaned forward, placing his forehead on Toothless'. "They're out bud." He whispered. Hiccup didn't have much time to relax against his friend before his father walked up to them.
"Hiccup." Stoick said flatly. "The villagers and myself would like to know, why in Thor's name a Night Fury is sitting in my village. And why it hasn't killed anyone and what it has to do with you."
Hiccup chuckled to himself. "Okay." He said. "Have everyone gather in the Great Hall. I'll explain there." Stoick nodded and returned to the growing group of Vikings. Hiccup and Toothless made there way to the Hall, and sat on the raised platform waiting for people to file in.
As they sat Toothless licked his wounds and Hiccup re-tightened his wrappings. He leaned back against Toothless as he stopped cleaning himself.
He remembered the days when they'd relax under Toothless' mom's wing. When he'd make stories about how they'd friends forever and how nothing could separate them. He nuzzled against his large friend, who cooed back to him.
Hiccup watched as villagers walk in. He noticed the odd looks cast his way from the older Vikings. The gawking and wide eyed children trying to get a better look. And his peers off the side, whispering to one another.
Stoick forced has way through the crowd to the front. A few rows from the front of the pack, he got a good sight of his son. He stop and looked at Hiccup who was codling the most dangerous creature on Berk. In that moment he didn't know if he should proud or angry of his son. On one hand it meant that either Hiccup was a god or that the beasts weren't all fire and fangs. On the other hand it could mean that Hiccup was some sort of devil and he's been planning this for a long time. He decided that from what he'd seen, trusting his son would be easier.
The final few people trickled in and the large doors were closed behind them. Stoick took his final steps towards the raised platform and his son. He stopped in front of them and nodded, then stepped to the side. Hiccup started to speak just loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Uhmm. Hi, uh everyone. So… You're probably wondering if you're in danger. No. You're not. And I assure you no one will be hurt. Probably. Hopefully. You're also probably wondering why the Night Fury, that attacks our village, is sitting behind me. Well, we're friends."
The room somehow became quieter than before. Stoick turned to his son, slack jawed.
"What did you say?" He whispered.
"We're friends." Hiccup confidently said. "I met him a long ago. When I was a kid. We used to play and have adventures. He was my best friend, and still is. If there was anything being a Hooligan has taught me, it's fight first and trust your gut. And I have a feeling that we have judged the dragons wrong."
Whispers ran through the room. They all stopped when Stoick spoke.
"How can you say that Hiccup? They take our food and kill people."
Hiccup took a second to think. He was right they had but his answer was right in front of him.
"They must have a leader. Just look." Hiccup scratched under Toothless' chin causing him to purr. "He's practically docile. I don't know how but their leader must control them somehow. I've met only a few dragons and none have attacked me. I used to go into the forest every day and play with him or relax under his mom's wing. On some days a few others would join us and they were only curious if me." He said. "And don't you find it weird that they only attack during raids? Don't you think that if any one dragon was desperate enough it would attack on its own. That never happens. They steal yaks and sheep but mostly eat fish. Sure they like red meat but when we'd get hungry, they would bring me to a stream and fish, not hunt usually. They're not what we think they are."
"How can you prove that Hiccup? He could be tricking you, waiting for the right moment to strike."
Hiccup looked up to his friend, who was looking over the crowd of people and shook his head. "No. He won't attack. Me or anyone. He could have eight years ago, when he was just barely bigger than me. Look at him, dad. If he wanted he could crush me or bite me in half." He pleaded.
"You have to prove it Hiccup. They've killed hundreds of us."
"And we've killed thousands of them."
"I just can't trust them Hiccup. I need to be shown that they're not monsters."
Hiccup huffed, which caused his dragon companion to focus on him. They looked at each other for a moment until Hiccup giggled. He scratch under Toothless' chin, thinking of a good way to show his father that they're not 'monsters'. He wanted to hit himself for not thinking of the obvious thing right away.
"Let's go into the forest. Dragons are surely there, and I can show you that they're not inherently mean."
Stoick took a minute to consider his son. He nodded slowly. "Okay Hiccup, that would help prove your theory. But you only get one chance. If anything goes wrong I'll never consider it again. Is that fair?" It was Hiccup turn to slowly nod.
Hiccup stood and stretched, then turned to face his friend. "Want to go to the forest, Bud?" Toothless made a quick circle, then sat excitedly. Hiccup giggled and scratched behind his ears. "Good." Toothless nudged him to his side and dropped his shoulder a bit. Hiccup was confused for a second until the dragon motioned with his head to get on. Hiccup gave his friend a hesitant look before climbing on.
The dragon jumped over the group of Vikings, causing many to gasp and scream. Hiccup chuckled as he reached to open the door. When it was just wise enough, they slipped out to the village. Many of the children who slipped through the adults, along with Hiccup's peers followed closely. Hiccup looked back at the growing crowd and smiled. He tapped Toothless' head, getting the dragon's attention.
"Give em' a show bud" Hiccup said. He hung on tight as Toothless leaped into the air. He screamed happily as they got higher and higher. They were above the village in moments. Many of the villagers were outside, using their hands to block the sun trying to get a better look.
Hiccup's good hand slipped from the horn it was holding onto. He tried to clench his legs around Toothless' sides but he was too far gone. He fell from his friend's back to the unforgiving ground. Hiccup's happy screams became horrified shouts of panic. He quickly prayed to all the gods be could think of, to save his life. He was about to give up hope when Toothless snatched him in his claws. The collective breath the villagers were holding released at once while they flew off to the edge of the forest. They touched down and Hiccup jumped off Toothless. He could barely stand, much less walk but he trembled his way to the front of his savior. The dragon whined softly to his human. Hiccup faced him, a thousand different things running through his head but his almost I'll timed death was the biggest. He got up under Toothless' chin, wrapping his arm around the giant neck and squeezing as tight as possible.
"Thank you. Thank you!" He snivelled. He cried into the dragon's shoulder, not caring if anyone saw him.
"Ahem." Stoick exaggerated. Hiccup looked up at his father. "So I'm guessing you almost dying wasn't part of your plan to give me an early death then?" Hiccup slowly shook his head. "Then your 'friend' here gained a few points in favor of your claim. And thank you dragon." Stoick couldn't believe he had thanked a dragon. "Ready to show me the rest of your plan?" Hiccup nodded and stood shakily, but after a few deep breaths he was back to normal. Stoick tightened a few buckles and redid the knot on his sword.
"No weapons dad." Hiccup stated. Stoick gave him a dumbfounded look, like Hiccup had grown a second head.
"What do you mean 'no weapons'? You want me to be near the devils without a way to protect myself? That's more insane than letting you talk me into this in the first place." Stoick complained.
"Please dad? I know it sounds weird but they're scared of them. They get really defensive when they're threatened and I won't be able to show you they're not dangerous if they won't trust me." Hiccup pleaded. Stoick didn't like the thought of not being armed but he'd trusted his son so far there was no reason not to now. He untied his scabbard from his hip and placed it on the ground. It was immediately obvious to him that Hiccup was right. The Night Fury instantly looked less tense when his sword hit the floor. Hiccup nodded, then turned to Toothless.
"Ready bud?" He asked his companion The dragon crooned and nuzzled under his hand. He laughed, which took his father off guard for a moment. He had no time to reflect on it as Hiccup slapped the dragon's side.
"You're it!" Hiccup screamed as he ran into the forest. Toothless sat for a second giving his human a small head start. He knew he was much faster than his human and it was only fair to give him a small chance of eluding him.
"Hiccup!" Stoick yelled behind his son, who was a few rows of trees in. He looked at the dragon who was patiently waiting. He wondered if the dragon was as confused as he was. Twenty seconds passed, when Toothless got up to all fours. He shook himself, then crouched down ready to go.
"Five, four, three, two, one. Here I come human." Toothless though as he dashed into the trees, leaving Stoick helplessly confused. He didn't know what happened but he trotted his way into the forest as well.
Hiccup found a small hole in a rock and hid in it. He counted the time until Toothless would be after him in his head. He listened carefully for the loud thumps of his friend as he searched for him. He peered out of his hole and spotted his dad. He had stopped listening for Toothless as he watched his dad look high and low for him. He had to stifle a laugh as his dad punched a tree. His heart froze as he heard dragon claws scrape against his stone. He bolted back into his small spot, hoping Toothless didn't see him. He was happy to hear his friend jump off the rock in the other direction. Deciding Toothless had gone the other way he peeked out again. When he did Toothless was sitting just off to the side of his hole, looking at him.
With slight disappointment, he crawled out of the rock. He scratched behind his friend's ear and hugged around his neck.
"I shouldn't be surprised that you found me so easily. You could back then, this must have been no challenge. Next time we play it's my turn to find you." The dragon grunted, confirming. "Alright bud, let's find my dad." It wasn't that hard since he was currently face to face with a Monstrous Nightmare. Hiccup and Toothless showed up just as Stoick yelled for them.
"Young one." The Nightmare said. "I've found your human's sire wandering the forest, what do you wish I do?" He asked.
"Nothing." Toothless responded. "My human is showing his sire that we're not the monsters they think we are. If we convince him then there is a chance." The Nightmare gave Stoick another glance then sat back.
Hiccup and Toothless joined them quickly. Hiccup walked towards the Nightmare, who got up again. He lowered his head to make eye contact with the human. Hiccup started back. He vented smoke through his nostrils, trying to intimidate the boy. Hiccup grabbed the horn on the dragon's nose and tugged. The dragon pulled away from him to sit again.
"He hasn't changed one bit, young one. Your lucky he isn't like the rest. Easily impressioned on." He commented. Toothless sighed at the thought.
"We got lucky. We made a good impression when we were younger. And even if this doesn't work he'll always be my human. I will protect him from us or other humans if needed." The Nightmare chuckled at his young friend.
"He seems to feel the same way. Not just anyone would willingly be stuck by an arrow. Your bond to him is still strong. Your mother worried about that. She would be happy to see her worrying was in vain."
Toothless grunted as he returned to his human. He laid down on his side allowing Hiccup access to his warmth if he wanted it. Want it he did. Hiccup sat down and leaned back against Toothless, who pulled him in further to be flush against his chest. Stoick sat back against a tree watching his son. At the same time he did, Hiccup noticed his bandages started to bleed through his shirt. He took off his shirt to look at it. Finding that his shoulder had started bleeding again, slowly unwrapped the linen from his shoulder. Wincing as the final layers came unstuck from each other. He lightly poked near his wound checking how much it had swollen along with any broken bones because of the arrow. He didn't think there was anything broken which made him relax more and ease his mind. Toothless shifted behind him to clean it again. Like before he carefully clamped down on Hiccup's shoulder, running his tongue over his wound. Once the taste of blood was weak he pulled off. It was still purple, but the combination of Toothless' spit and the cold air helped the swelling go down.
Hiccup untied the other linen binding his arm to his waist. Once undone he slowly rolled his shoulder. It was stiff but that he could at all helped his no broken bones thought. But the agitation caused him to start bleeding again. Before he could do anything about it, Toothless was on him again. Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned his head on Toothless', listening to the dragon slowly work.
"Thanks bud." He whispered.
When Toothless finished, Hiccup wrapped his arm with the non blood soaked linen. Stoick wondered how long his son and the Night Fury knew each other. He couldn't help but notice their bond, something he found himself almost jealous of.
"Son?" Hiccup looked up. "How? When? When did you two meet? How did you become friends with him? How did you grow so close that you willingly protected him, at risk of your own life? Do you understand how crazy, no insane this looks to me? Why bother trying to change my mind on them at all? Why do you have to be so different?"
Hiccup looked up to his friend, then at his dad. He opened his mouth to say something but clamped it shut instead. He thought about what you wanted to say, to help convince his father. He tried his hardest to come up with a meaningful story to say but nothing came to mind.
"I don't. I don't know what to tell you." Hiccup confessed. "I was just a kid when I found him. He was as curious of me as I was him. His mom found us but she didn't kill me. Instead she just kept an eye on us while we explored each other. He was nice to me and we kinda just grew closer. He was, is my friend and I want it to stay like that." Hiccup said.
Stoick crossed his arms defensively. "What if I said that you couldn't be friends with a dragon? What would you do then?" He challenged his son.
"I don't know. I would still try to convince you. And if it came down to it I'd… I'd move away. Move to an island where people couldn't find me. I could live with Toothless, show him that I don't need to be taken care of all the time. That I can help when I'm not hurt." Hiccup said, unsure if he really could. He wanted to be confident for his father.
"Did you hear that young one? He'd be willing to separate from his own people for you." The Nightmare commented. "Would you allow that, I wonder?"
"Of course I would. If he cannot change his sire's mind I will take him with me. Leave to a land where the Queen's influence won't reach us." Toothless snipped.
"That seems extreme young one."
Toothless hummed, agreeing with his friend. In his mind it would likely be the only way that they would be safe.