Hey guys. So, I didn't realize that the dragons already had names, besides Toothless (thank you to the guest who told me). For now, I'm just going keep on calling them what I did previously, is that okay with everyone? I hope it is.
I'd like to thank you all for your lovely reviews, they make me smile so much! (Dragons-of-berk ;D)
Anyways, please leave a review, and follow and fav! Enjoy this chapter.
Didn't realize I had accidentally written Night Furies instead of Monstrous Nightmares. So Stoick and Gobber AREN'T riding Night furies. I edited this chapter and reposted it.
Merida stared after Astrid, shaken. Had she annoyed the girl? Did Astrid take her smile the wrong way?
One thing was for sure. Merida did not want to have a fight, or a competition, over Hiccup with Astrid. She knew that everyone had to be level headed if they were to work together, and there was one solution: Avoid Hiccup. Maybe then, Astrid would calm down enough to help out, and her help would be needed if Hiccup was correct.
Merida squared her shoulders, pleased that she was for once being quite sensible. It was for the best, she knew, even if it meant avoiding Hiccup.
She was still unsure how she felt about him.
Hiccup, meanwhile, was following his friends to their rooms. Snotlout and Fishlegs were sharing a large suite, and Hiccup stopped in to catch up. He saw Fishlegs scribbling furiously at a desk, and Snotlout lying on his bed, gazing out the huge window.
"Dude," He said with a grin. "Merida's pretty cute, huh?"
Hiccup hid a smile behind his hand, and stared at Snotlout very seriously. "She's alright, I guess."
"That hair..." Snotlout sighed.
"Uh, what about Astrid?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, scuffing the ground with his shoe. "I thought you had a thing for her?"
"He did until today," Fishlegs said from his place at the desk. "He told her on the way here that he was tired of following after her all the time."
Hiccup raised his eyebrows. "You've loved her forever, asked her out millions of times, and she never once said yes? Even after I left?"
"Even after you left," Snotlout confirmed sheepishly. He straightened. "I'm a different man, now. I'm not going to follow her around like a lost puppy. There are..." He looked once more out the window at Merida, who was standing in the meadow where everyone had arrived. "Other things waiting for me."
"Look, Snotlout," Hiccup cut in. "I think you should know that Merida and I, are, you know."
"What?" Snotlout asked. "What are you?"
"We're..."
"They're together," Fishlegs called over.
"Well, sort of." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "We've kissed, you know, but I'm not sure where we stand."
Snotlout broke out into a grin. "High five!" Hiccup was confused, but obliged. "I'm still gonna try to win her over, though," Snotlout added. Hiccup laughed. They both knew that Merida was not the sort to leave someone for someone else.
"Hoping it'll make Astrid jealous?" Fishlegs asked slyly. Snotlout whipped his head around and glared at Fishlegs, but it was out. He still liked Astrid. Hiccup snickered and patted him on the shoulder.
"You can try, Puppy Dog," he said, and then he was gone.
"He's changed a lot," Snotlout said, gazing after his friend in fascination. "He's not such a twig anymore."
Fishlegs nodded. "I know. He's not as clumsy, either. I don't think he's even burnt down any buildings in the alst few years."
Snotlout laughed.
Everyone gathered around the table, ready for lunch. Fergus sat at one end, Elinor at the other. Hiccup tried to sit next to Merida, bt she quickly squeezed in between her father and Ruffnut, shooting Hiccup an apologetic yet relieved smile. Hiccup shrugged and sat down to the left of Fishlegs, who had Ruffnut on his right, who in turn was sitting next to her brother. Astrid sat on the other side of the table, with Stoick and Grobber on either side of her.
"So, " Fergus said grimly. "There's been another fire." Everyone looked up from their lunch and conversations, ready to hear what he had to say. "A dog died, but no people." Everyone accepted this. To the Vikings, it wasn't very sad. The only pets they had were dragons. Merida felt her heart clench in her chest, though, sad that such a loyal creature was dead.
"From the dragon?" Hiccup asked, knowing the answer. Fergus nodded.
Elinor spoke up. "We want all of you to fly over there once you've been updated on what these dragons are like, as well as their history." She glanced at Hiccup, and he cleared his throat.
"Merida and I first discovered the dragon in the forest. It was talking to me in my mind, and I'm the only one who can hear it." Everyone nodded, Stoick had updated them on it. It was still odd, though. "There are a lot of them, and they've lived in Scotland for hundreds of years," Hiccup went on. "We're not sure how many. They can turn invisible, breathe fire, and fly. There was one in my room once, and I didn't know it until it spoke to me." He took a deep breath. "They hurt Toothless once. Merida shot one of them with her arrows, but it didn't harm him." He glanced at Merida, smiling a little. Astrid sighed internally. "We know this: They're a few different colours all at once, purple, orange, red, blue, red, lots. If we find a scale, you'll see. Fishlegs, you getting all of this?" Fishlegs nodded, his pencil flying.
"Hopefully," he said while writing, "I'll be able to figure out its weak spot. You say it can turn invisible whenever it wants?"
Hiccup nodded. "Yes. We can see the fire, of course."
"It can't be very easy always turning invisible," Astrid mused. Fishlegs eyes brightened.
"That could be a weak spot!" He exclaimed. Astrid smiled, and for a second Merida got a glimpes of the nice girl Astrid really was.
Stoick finally spoke up. "Do they have some sort of leader? Because I remember the nest had that big one-"
"Yes," Hiccup said, stiffening at hearing his father's voice. "They said something about that. It's up to the leader when they attack. That's why we need to find out as much as possible about it. Hopefully it won't be too big."
He knew, obviously, that the leader would be huge. Dragon leaders always were, and this was a particularily nasty breed of dragons.
Gobber sat forward eagerly, pushing his empty plate forward. 'Don't know 'bout you kids, but I'm ready to go find this thing!" The Vikings cheered, and Merida looked around at them bewildered by their loudness, as well as how rowdy they were. She sort of liked it, though.
"Oh, Gobber?" Hiccup asked. "Which dragons are you riding?"
"Your father and I are riding different ones that usual," Gobber said. "Monstrous Nightmares. We figured they'd be more helpful with these dragons, being faster and such. But we're not coming with you guys today. Have some things to finish up."
Hiccup nodded, avoiding his father's gaze. "Good choice." He smiled at everyone else and excused himself to get changed into his flying gear.
"You're just going to the burn site, remember," Elinor reminded everyone. "You don't need to get into armour."
"We don't have armour," Tuffnut laughed.
"Yeah," Ruffnut put in with an odd grin. "We're Vikings, after all."
Elinor looked taken back by their behaviour, but nodded. "Alright then." She got up to go finish her book, and Fergus gave everyone a solemn nod.
Ruffnut and Astrid left to go get their dragons ready, Merida following awkwardly. Snotlout and Fishlegs went off to their room.
He's changed," Stoick said quietly. "I can't believe it."
"Well," Gobber said thoughtfully, "he certainly is more mature."
They stood up and left to their seperate rooms, Stoick to go over his weapon inventory, and Gobber to take a nap.
When Hiccup arrived in the meadow, everyone was on their dragons.
"Sorry," he called out. "Didn't realize I was holding you up." He started to "saddle up" Toothless, putting on the gear and equipment. Toothless rubbed his head against Hiccup's shoulder as he waited, excited to have his friend flying on him.
"Good boy, Toothless," Hiccup said with a tender smile. He scratched Toothless on his head, listening to the dragon's purrs.
Ruffnut smiled at the pair. She had missed them.
"You riding with me, Merida?" Hiccup asked. Merida knew it would be practical, rather than ride Angus. He was a little bit slower, and was more likely to cover the scent. She nodded reluctantly, ignoring Hiccup's questioning glance, and climbed up behind him.
"Everything okay?" Hiccup asked. Merida didn't answer, but glanced at Astrid, who was looking angry.
It wasn't working. Astrid wasn't any happier.
Hiccup began to wonder if Merida was mad at him, but ignored the feeling. "Let's go," He called out.
Toothless lifted them off the ground, his enormous black wings sending mini tornadoes spinning through the grass and dirt. Everyone stared at the beautiful black dragon, almost awe-struck. They hadn't seen him in years, after all, and were amazed by how much stronger he was. Hiccup laughed and guided Toothless in circles over everyone as they got in the air, and then led the way to the column of black smoke in the distance. He felt Merida's arms wrap around him a little bit tighter. He also felt Astrid's fiery gaze. And then it became clear to him. Merida wasn't mad at him, she was trying to avoid a fight.
"You don't have to do this," He shouted back to her, the wind roaring in his ears. "It's not your fault she's acting like this."
"I don't want it to mess up everything," Merida called back. "I'm sorry, Hiccup."
Hiccup felt something jolt through him, wondering if Merida had just officially ended whatever there was between them.
