Chapter 4

Hiccup looked at Keila's face, he had never seen her this scared, even when they had been little. She had always liked the dragons when they were small, she said they were pretty. Hiccup remembered when they used to hide under the bed during attacks she'd always tried to sneak out and see. She had been the reason Hiccup started to get interested in dragons when they were kids.

They had grown up together, and while Hiccup had never considered himself to exactly have been a coward, he'd always thought Keila to be the braver one. Hiccup had been clever and while Keila had been gentle she had usually been just crazy enough to go along with Hiccup's schemes.

But, now Hiccup saw a look on the girl's face that he never imagine he'd see on her. It was pure terror. He thought about the last time he had seen her. It had been a little less than three years since their last visit.

Keila's family had moved away to Rus when Hiccup and Keila were both almost six years old, but they came back to visit about every few years.

On their last visit they had both been about ten years old. Hiccup had immediately dragged Keila off to show her his drawings and how good he was getting in Gobber's forge. They snuck off and went exploring. When they came back they were laughing and having so much fun they hardly noticed that the village was in full alert. Dragons had set the eastern side of the village on fire and everyone was busy trying to put out the fire and bring down the dragons.

Keila had gotten really excited and grabbed Hiccup's hand and went to find the tallest tree they could climb so they would be able to see the dragons. Long story short the tree ended up getting knocked down with the kids inside it. They weren't hurt too bad, Keila had a broken wrist, and Hiccup had a bump on his head, and both of their ears were ringing from the screaming lecture they were given by Stoick and Keila's father. Hiccup remembered the gist, they were both too small, and they shouldn't be outside, and what were they doing in that tree, and they could have been killed.

Keila never even flinched, she was having the time of her life, Hiccup had seen it in her eyes.

This girl before him now was not that girl.

"Keila, it's ok. Toothless couldn't hurt a fly. You don't have to be scared of him." Hiccup said softly.

Toothless grunted in disagreement. Hiccup shot him a look. Keila still looked scared.

"Keila come-"

"Make it go away."

Hiccup was taken aback, "Um."

"Make it go away, I know you can." Keila said shakily, not taking her eyes away from Toothless.

Hiccup turned to Toothless and waved him away, Toothless looked at him questioningly. "Go on bud we'll catch up."

Toothless bounded away at that, and Hiccup turned back to Keila.

"Keila, what happened to you?"

Keila tore her eyes away from the spot Toothless had just occupied and glanced at Hiccup before looking down at her hands. "Everyone's afraid of dragon's Hiccup, don't be ridiculous." She mumbled.

"You never were." Hiccup sat down on the ground in front of her, his artificial leg clicking into place. Keila stared at his leg for a minute, Hiccup wondered if this was the first time she had noticed it since she had arrived. Keila scoffed, catching Hiccup off guard.

"How'd that happen Hicc? One of your schemes? So I'm guessing I was actually right about the axe-apult?" Keila chuckled. She was trying to change the subject.

Hiccup looked offended, "Hey that axe-apult was a great idea you were the only one-"

"-and your dad, and Gobber-"

"-would've revolutionized how vikings fought dragons-"

"-definitely would've given Gobber a lot of business in the prosthetic department."

"Besides that's not even what happened!"

"Well then, what did?"

Keila crossed her arms and stared him down with her eyebrow raised. Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, remember the story I was telling in hall?"

Keila nodded.

Hiccup told her how in order to make peace with the dragons there was a battle against a dragon that had been controlling them all. Hiccup and Toothless had led the other teens in an effort to bring the massive dragon down.

"Toothless damaged it inside and we led it into a dive that it couldn't pull out of. When we were trying to escape from the fire the dragon's tail hit Toothless and I fell off and was knocked out. I don't exactly know what happened after that. The last thing I remember is falling, and then waking up in my room days later. My dad won't talk about it much but he thinks Toothless tried to catch me and he accidentally-"

"So that dragon took your leg, it almost killed you and you hang out with it? You keep it as a pet? It lives in your house, Hiccup are you insane?" Keila stared at Hiccup like she seriously was considering his mental stability.

"Toothless saved my life, Keila! If he hadn't caught me I would have died." Hiccup said an edge creeping into his tone.

Keila started to argue but stopped and looked down as if she were searching for words. Hiccup leaned forward to look into her face.

"Alright, I answered your question. Now, I asked you first, what happened?"

Keila looked down at her hands and stumbled for words she looked up at Hiccup and he could tell she was struggling.

"Hiccup I was there when my parents were killed. Garknot told your dad they were scouting, but really they…that dragon came out of nowhere. It wasn't provoked we didn't attack it or anything. You said they protect themselves…"

Hiccup nodded,"That's right."

"Wrong!"

"That dragon came out of nowhere and attacked my parents' boat and they weren't prepared for an attack from a dragon that big so they decided to try and get away. It chased them and tore the ship apart. It wasn't protecting itself! It was slaughter! And I had a great view from the shore."

"Keila-"

"Hiccup, I hate dragons and nothing you can say will change my mind." Keila rubbed her arm.

Hiccup started to say something else but they were interrupted by the flutter of wings. Keila's eyes widened and her hand tightened on her dagger. Fishlegs landed behind them on his dragon Meatlug and it looked like Toothless was coming up behind them.

"Uh…hey Fishlegs what's up?" Hiccup said putting a hand on Keila's

"Hiccup everyone is waiting up at the Academy for you, Snotlout said he could stall them-"

"Ah…ok, ok we're coming."

Hiccup turned to Keila. "Keila come to the Academy with me, let me prove to you that dragons aren't what you think."

Keila stared at Hiccup obviously unconvinced.

"Uh…Hiccup? We should get going." Fishlegs

Hiccup sighed, the fastest way up to the Academy was flying and Keila wasn't getting on any dragon's back anytime soon.

"Meet us up there Keila, you'll see." Hiccup said as he walked over to Toothless.

"Hiccup she probably won't make it up there before dark, and by then everyone will be coming back." Fishlegs whispered from Meatlug's back. Toothless snorted as if he was bored with the whole topic, and then suddenly he took off in Keila's direction.

Toothless charged her, Keila screamed and at first held out her knife but then scrambled to her feet to try and get away.

Hiccup grabbed at Toothless's head and tried to pull him up. "Toothless what are you doing, you are just making it worse!"

Toothless took off. He flew above Keila and swooped down and picked her up in his claws. He lifted her up into the air and she dropped her dagger. Hiccup relaxed a little, he understood what Toothless was thinking now, he thought. Keila was crying and screaming.

"Careful, Toothless. Don't drop her. Keila it's okay!" Hiccup called down to her. They turned towards the academy. Toothless continued to ascend, though. "Hey bud getting a little high up, aren't we?"

Keila started to calm down a little, that is until Toothless dropped her.