Chapter Thirty: Twenty Questions
„Did you leave because you were told by the gods? Like your ancestor?" Kate asked suddenly.
It was morning. After a long nights sleep, they had made their way towards the far end of the land. That was four days ago. Because of Kate's bad leg they couldn't fly too long.
Currently they were resting on a cliff, surrounded by pine trees.
Over a fire they were cooking a big fish and Hiccup was lost in his maps and his journal but mainly in the book that was resting in his lap. It was 'A hero's guide to deadly dragons'. The book was utterly amazing. Detailed pictures of every dragons, exact descriptions, advices and tricks, everything!
Kate was leaning against her dragons side.
Her dragon had showed up in the early morning hours of the first night and was a gorgeous animal. Nightlight was a raven black dragon with golden eyes and golden fire. She was the size of a Deadly Nadder but had four arms and legs and wings lean and elegant as Toothless'.
She'd carried Kate's stuff with her and together they'd made their way onward.
Hiccup looked up. "Not really. I didn't know about the gods at all." He sighed. Might as well tell her everything. "I ran away." She raised an eyebrow. "Why?" "Befriending and training dragons is forbidden where I come from. They raid our villages. They're our enemies. You're considered a traitor if you do so and are banished or killed which both is pretty bad. So I kept Toothless hidden. But one night he took me to the dragons nest. It's what the Vikings have been searching for since they first set foot onto the Archipelago." He poked the fire with his hands. "I found out that they were controlled by a hideous dragon queen that controlled them and forced them to raid us. The Red Death." Hiccup shuddered at the memory. Kate noticed.
"Is that how you lost your leg?" "Nearly. When I was chosen to kill a dragon in front of the village, I ran away and Toothless and I decided to kill the queen. In the act, I lost the leg. But Loki found me and nursed me back to health. After a month or two I was able to travel again. And that was how I started my journey. The rest you heard, when you spied on my and your father." At the last part, a smile broke his lips apart.
She frowned. "I still don't understand. Why where you chosen to kill a dragon at all?" Hiccup sighed. "When you reach a certain age, you are put into dragon training. There you learn how to…kill them. The recruit who does best, has the honor of killing his first dragon in front of the whole village." She glared at him. "Then why didn't you just pretended to be a loser?" "There was need to pretend that. But through Toothless I learned a few tricks and…" He stopped. "And what?" "And I wanted to please my father just for once. He'd never accepted the fact that I wasn't the stereotype Viking he always wanted. But through Toothless, I learned to set my priorities somewhere they mattered." Kate was silent for a moment then she asked carefully. "Why didn't your mother stop your father?" Hiccup stiffened. "She died when I was four in a dragon-raid." "I'm sorry." "I barely remember her. Just bits and pieces. Your mom's dead too, right?" Kate nodded. "I'd say I'm sorry but that never covers it." "Kate nodded.
"Do you have siblings?" she asked. "No. I am the first-born. They planned on having more children but…well…" Kate nodded. "I have cousin. Though he's the one of the reason my life was a living hell." "My sister didn't make it easy for me too. When mom died she thought she had to replace her for me. She always fusses around me and controls me." "She didn't appear like that when…" Kate's eyes seemed to blaze with fire. "When you were snuggling each other's lips?" "We didn't…you were not suppose to…She kissed me!" Kate slummed backwards against Nightlight. "I'm sorry. It's just…I'm fifteen, she's nineteen and had lots of boys. And I…I kissed the boy from the stables once on the cheek. I…I want love too. And seeing her getting it always so easy is…frustrating, I guess." Hiccups cheeks burned even harder. Oh gods, girl-talk. Talking about feelings and relationships. He swallowed. But then he felt ridiculous pretending he had no idea what she was talking about.
In fact he knew it pretty well.
But before he could say it out loud, she shook her head. "Sorry. I got lost. Any other relatives?" He sighed. "Aunt and uncle and a guardian or god-father you could say. I was his apprentice in the forge." "Wow, inventor, smith, Dragon-Whisperer, Dragon-Trainer, hero, chosen of the gods, swordsman, skilled with knifes, what can't you do?" "To much, I'm afraid. There is too much I can't do. Like convincing a land to join me. Or escaping properly." Kate slid over to him and laid on hand on his shoulder.
"My father is stubborn. You don't stand a chance if he's determined." "Sounds familiar." He grinned slightly at her. She shoved his shoulder. "I'm not so bad." "Yes, you are."
Kate smiled at him. "You gonna do great." "How can you be so sure?" "You have me. I'll keep you from screwing up!"
He laughed. "I think I'm actually pretty glad you're here." She threw back her hair in a very fake way and said: "What can I say, everybody loves me."
Hiccup laughed with her.
"Now. Tell me all about how you and Nightlight met and about your life." Kat smiled. "Okay. It all started when I was seven…"