Chapter Thirty-Three: The book of dragons

„This was…this was…" Kate stammered lost for words while holding on to her horse's neck as they raced through the night.

"Close? Mad? Strange? Complete waste of time?" Hiccup suggested as he pulled his horse up next to hers.

"Totally insane! How did you do that with the fire?" "Oh. You're talking about that." Hiccup mumbled.

"I mean, you already did stupid and crazy things like fighting in that tournament and kissing my sister but this…." "Hey!" "This… this was the top of the iceberg. You can wield fire?" "And understand any language that is spoken in this world." He added, not looking at her.

"How?" "Lokis last gift."

He'd told her a slightly different version of his whole story. Most of it she'd already heard while eavesdropping on him and her father back in the castle. But some things he hadn't told the king either. Like his talents, his real connection to the gods and some part of the prophecy.

He sighed and said: "Let's find shelter and I explain everything to you." He said and pulled ahead of her.

The fire was producing strange shadows all around them and the orange light made everything look softer.

Hiccup sat near the fire, turning the wood again with bare hands.

Kate was watching him. She'd been awfully quiet for a while now and Hiccup feared he'd done something totally crazy now and that she would thing he'd finally lost it.

The she said: "You luck bastard!"

He looked up, confused.

"You don't hate me?" "Why should I? I envy you. That's cool! Show me please!" Hiccup grinned and held out his arm.

With a few sparks his hand and then his complete arm caught fire. The flames swirled around, licked his skin and danced up and down but they didn't hurt him.

Kate hobbled closer and smiled. The flames were reflected in her eyes.

"That" she said "Is the coolest thing I've ever seen. Is it magic?" "I guess so." "And you understand any language?" "That is or was spoken on this planet." "So if I switched into Diratan, you would understand me?" she asked, switching the language. He smiled and replied smoothly: "And can answer you in said language." She looked impressed. "What about…Hircampsh?" she tried again. "That too."

Kate folded her arms. "It took me years to learn all those languages! And you just hear it and plop, you speak it!" "But you can fight better than I can." "Oh really? But not much, you're developing nicely." "Thanks to your training."

It was true. Kate had been teaching him ever since they had encountered other bandits at the beginning of their journey. She'd shown him the basics and also how to use his bow. He never hit his target or at least not what he had aimed at but it didn't feel weird at the same time.

The sword was getting better and better without strange outburst from his mothers gift. And after his stunt with the throwing knifes in the castle, Kate had been trying to teach him that especially. But that was a one-time-success. He used the knives mostly to cut their food or remove the dirt under his nails.

"Well" Kate said "I will have a bath and then lay down. You should too." "Naw, I'm going to do the first shift. Just in case these boys want to follow us. And I still have reading to do." She rolled her eyes. "Of course. The book. How could I forget." He grinned. "Sometimes I think you like the book more then you like me." "Can't help it." She shook her head. "Goodnight Hiccup. And thanks." "For what?" "For sticking up to me back there. And for the adventure. It's not quite what I thought it would be but better than nothing." "It's a little different up close, isn't it?" She just laughed. "Thanks." "And I thank you. For sticking up with me." "Yeah. It's not as easy as it looks. No poisonous ivy tonight?" "No. I promise." "Good. Because I will have your head otherwise." "I know."

Hiccup skimmed through the pages he'd already read. 'A heroes guide to deadly dragons' was an amazing book.

Hiccup had already read so much about dragons known to him and learned thing he'd never assumed in his wildest dreams that his complete picture of dragons had changed dramatically. He didn't see them as huge scaly reptiles anymore but as persons. Not humans, that wouldn't summon it up at all.

He'd already known that dragons had different personalities and characteristics but now he saw that each of them was a complete different world of animals.

Their skills and abilities were unique and every dragon needed to be treated a different way.

And as unique they were, so were their training methods.

Sometimes Hiccup wondered how in the god's name his ancestor had gotten to that conclusion or idea!

Who would think that pulling funny faces at a Stormwings, like Nightlight, would make those dragons laugh and obedient? Or that dancing would put a terror to sleep? Or that rubbing a Timberjack mud on his back would make him your friend forever?

There were a lot of thing he'd learned and that he was about to learn.

But one thing bothered him.

King George had said that Hiccup II came to Derandolia on the back of a Night Fury. So why was there nothing about Night Furies in the book of dragons?

It was the first thing he'd searched for. But nothing.

Over seven hundred pages, two for each dragon, and nothing about Night Furies. How could that be?

All Hiccup could think about was that the king had been wrong and it had been a different dragon.

But he seemed so sure…

Hiccup gut told him that something didn't fit in the story the king had told him.

He'd left out something. Something he didn't want Hiccup to know…

"Hiccup?" He was abruptly woken from his train of thoughts. He looked up. Kate looked at him with small eyes and yawned. "Are you still up?" "Yes. I've been thinking and reading." "You should sleep. It's not long until dawn." "I'm fine. Go back to sleep. It's all quiet and good." She looked at him with half-closed eyes but the message was clear. "I'll be sleeping in a few. I promise." "Okay." With that she was back asleep.

Hiccup sighed and put the book away before he lay down next to Toothless and the dragon put his wing over him.

He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep but the warmth and darkness and Toothless' beating heart next to him and the sound of the leaves in the wind put him to sleep in a few seconds.