Learning from the Masters
A How To Train Your Dragon Fanfiction
Based off Le'letha's "Nightfall"
It would be a lie for Hiccup to think to himself that he was not sad, but it was only a small amount. Pfikingr died all of the time, and he spared no thought towards it. Pfikingr were killers of dragons and all dragons knew this. Hiccup knows he is human in body, but he is not pfikingr no matter his shape, and in soul he is all dragon. He knows this. Toothless knows this. So does the rest of their nest. Only sometimes do stranger dragons notice. It does not matter to him or them his shape, for he has always been a part of the nest and so he is a dragon. This is truth as he sees it.
He has never thought much of pfikingr deaths because of this. He cannot relate to them and he can barely understand them, because he is not them and most of them are bad killers enemies threat. Even when Uh strrrTT had come to him convinced that he cared to make the Queen dragon's nest stop raiding because pfikingr were being killed, he could not find himself to care for them - only for the dragons Uh strrrTT's kind killed. She did not care for dragon deaths, only for pfikingr deaths, and he felt much the same only in reverse.
This time is different though.
A pfikingr died to save dragons from other pfikingr.
Hiccup and Toothless realize this and that is what makes them sad and also surprised and thoughtful. Its a blatant contradiction to everything they know of what dragons and humans are to each other. Even the idea of humans fighting other humans for dragons at all is something they had never considered before now.
They know pfikingr fight other groups of their own sometimes, but so do dragons against other dragons that are not of the same flock, usually to defend a territory or prey they have caught or hatchlings from bigger dragons. They have seen it in other predators and other prey-things too, so it is not beyond their world view to know that humans dispute with rival humans.
But the reason is never for dragons, and this is what matters to them.
This was done for dragons. That is something they cannot ignore as they could if it had been done for pfikingr only, though they are not so dull-minded that they do not realize it was done for both at the same time.
The two-who-are-one understand what it is to help in return for help. That is the entire basis for their relationship.
Toothless can fly and breathe fire and he is bigger and fiercer; Hiccup is smaller but he has clever paws that do things no other dragons can do and can reach tight spaces Toothless cannot and can sometimes talk to pfikingr in ways that benefit them even if his attempts are clumsy and he wishes that humans were better at speaking properly like dragons.
Even if Hiccup does not have a tail and fire, he is good for Toothless and good for the Nest because he has things to offer no other dragon does; his uniqueness is as much a needed advantage is it is sometimes a handicap, and he has found ways to lessen his differences like making himself his own wings so that he can fly too even if it is not as well as his kin.
Other dragons understand returning help for help too. It is how a nest survives, and a good nest has much helping and does better than other nests. It is not hard to know that two dragons working together is better than one, and many dragons together are stronger than few dragons, just as many pfikinger are more of a threat than one or two of them.
It is these things - that a human died to help dragons, and that they understand returning helping - that drive their decision. They do not trust E-e-kTT, and they do not trust his flock, but they can see them as not enemies, the same as they might see a dragon who is not of their flock but minds its own business and shows no desire to be a threat so they tolerate it.
It is strange to think, but they have seen a little of humans who can tolerate dragons without being a threat, and once they have even seen Uh strrrTT climb on the back of another dragon called Flies in Storms and fly with them though she is much more clumsy than they are and more afraid of flying but mostly of falling from flying.
And it is another thing that Hiccup's mother was human in body even if Cloudjumper saw in her dragon, though he tries not to think of it, because thinking of it hurts and the hurt is not an enemy that can be fought and blasted with Toothless's fire into going away.
But these are places he can think of where pfikingr might be less-bad with dragons than he thought before those times and so they are willing to give it a chance because E-e-kTT does not want to fight dragons, his enemy is other pfikingr, though it is hard to tell his intentions beyond his words because he does not show what he thinks or feels in his face or his body and so it is hard to know if he lies.
It is for that also that they think they should maybe stay around longer to know for-sure that E-e-kTT and his flock will not turn out to be lying.
E-e-kTT may not have killed dragons, but they both remember how he had captured them and the sharp, flying thing that had hurt Toothless's wing as well as the many days apart in cages and while most pfikingr were stupid and easily fooled, E-e-kTT was clever. Clever was a good thing when it was something the members of their flock had, but they are practiced at being clever and know from experience the kind of trouble it can bring, not only to themselves but also how it can be turned against enemies. A clever pfikingr can easily become a dangerous one, far more dangerous than most, who already threatened dragons.
So there are many reasons for them to stay but they still know to be careful around pfikingr and they won't let themselves be ambushed again and with Cloudjumper there they are more formidable than ever if the humans become violent.
They agree to help E-e-kTT for helping the dragons and E-e-kTT seems to approve so they deem that everything is good.
E-e-kTT doesn't sleep amongst his flock that night and instead perches on the rocks curled in furs skinned from animals and fluffy white prey things that they both have seen with pfikingr and that are even more stupid than pfikingr are. Hiccup knows that furs are soft and warm but for him they are rarely needed and get destroyed quickly in a dragon nest. Hatchlings especially like to play with them and pull from different sides and shred them so big pieces of fur do not last long in the Nest. The shreds can still be used to sleep in but they are not as good and by then they are often burned by dragons' fires.
It is humorous too how E-e-kTT and the crow are to each other similar to how Hiccup and Toothless are, only the one that can fly is the bird while E-e-kTT is the one who is too big for her to fly-with even though it is what E-e-kTT wants.
Hiccup can sympathize a small amount because he knows that flying is a good thing and he cannot imagine life without being able to fly. What confuses him most is that E-e-kTT needs dragons to learn how when he has a bird who can fly just as well, but he knows it took him many tries to make his own wings that would work, so maybe it is the same problem of tries-and-fails. Hiccup spent many times simply staring at the wings of his nest-mates trying to work out why his previous tries had not worked until he got it right so maybe E-e-kTT was trying to do the same though it would be harder for a pfikingr when dragons avoided them so much.
He did not think that E-e-kTT wanted to be like dragons, but maybe he wanted to be like birds. That is better - Hiccup thinks - because birds can be annoying to dragons and the Nest, but they are not a threat.
After morning arrives is when E-e-kTT awakes, shivering slightly from the cold but he otherwise gathers up his blankets and returns to the cave without a sound about it. Only half of the other pfikingr are awake but they are sluggish and unhappy, low-growling at nothing and rubbing their faces with their paws and occasionally snapping at each other so the two-who-are-one keep their distance in case the pfikingr try to snap at them too though so far they have seen no sharp-things bared.
E-e-kTT speaks to them in human and those that are already awake leave on the backs of the no-prey things shortly after. It is after that that E-e-kTT keeps his promise to start letting the uninjured dragons free, but not without first asking for their help to communicate properly for them to wait and be still for a time outside the cage so E-e-kTT can draw them. Some of the dragons barely listen and do not want to stay still and do not care for what E-e-kTT has drawn. Some even flee before he is finished, especially when other pfikingr start to wake up. One is curious and comfortable enough to wait and see what E-e-kTT has drawn of them before leaving.
What is most interesting is that E-e-kTT lays out long ropes every time with knots in them. Hiccup and Toothless understand knots. Hiccup understands them more because he has used his clever paws to undo many knots to free nestmates from traps and open things that are tied shut and he has made simple knots in sewing things with string like making or fixing the fly-with on Toothless's back. Pfikingr make lots of knots. They are useful for many things and some are harder to undo than others.
Hiccup does not know at first what the knots are for this time but he assumes they have a purpose because pfikingr have many uses for them and E-e-kTT seems to put importance on laying them out on the ground before he draws and has made it clear he does not want them moved at all. Hiccup wants to understand why they are important because knots are something he can use to benefit himself and his nestmates sometimes and he knows that there are good knots and bad knots. Good knots are strong and do not come apart or break but bad knots can create unintended danger depending on what he is using them for. This is something he has learned the hard way before with the fly-with and with his own wings that he made for himself.
He learned quickly that he could perch in E-e-kTT's blind spot without being shooed away and watch him work while Toothless watched his own back for pfikingr that might get too close. He knew better than to think E-e-kTT did not know he was there though and that the pfikingr was only pretending not to see him.
There were faded lines on the paper all the way down it and Hiccup catches E-e-kTT's attention by whistling a question that the he-pfikingr can't quite figure out though Hiccup sees he is trying to discern the meaning. E-e-kTT's eyes are more expressive than he remembers but to him this is a good thing because it is a communication he can understand and react to much better than human words.
He subtly directs at the paper and whistles a question again. At first E-e-kTT points at the drawing of the dragon. When Hiccup denies that as the point of interest, it takes E-e-kTT a few more moments to realize its the lines and Hiccup rumbles approval when he guesses it right. He doesn't expect a verbal answer he can understand and he doesn't get one. E-e-kTT says some words he doesn't know, but he also lifts his drawing stick and points, lining it up with one of the knots, then the second knot, then the many after that.
It doesn't take long then to figure out what the knots are for once E-e-kTT shows him though he still doesn't know why they are important because he has always drawn without such things himself. He whistles yet another question since E-e-kTT seems to understand what the sound means but the rest is too abstract for him to convey properly. He gets no further in coaxing an explanation but he has a slightly better idea of what things are being done.
E-e-kTT draws all of the dragons and they go free. They are happy with this. That is when E-e-kTT wants to draw Toothless-love the same way and the larger dragon is less eager about this but there is no threat in doing it so he makes little fuss and tolerates it and stands poised with his wings and tail stretched out. Hiccup likes watching E-e-kTT draw Toothless most of all. He has never seen anyone else draw Toothless and it is fun and fills him with a happy purr.
He thinks then that he can help too - he and Toothless are two halves of one and Hiccup has his own wings - so as soon as he sees that E-e-kTT is done drawing Toothless, he springs down to where Toothless is standing and he spreads his own wings even though he cannot fly with them here where there is no wind chirping Me too flying wings mine us flying wings me too!
Toothless rolls his eyes as he sits back at the antics of his dragon-boy half and lightly cuffs him with silly you mine silly affection hatchling-happy showoff silly. Hiccup laughs a dragon laugh with his Toothless-soul-mine at his partner's joke because he is proud of his wings and that he can fly at all but he still knows they are not as good to show off as Toothless's wings.
Hiccup can see that E-e-kTT is mildly surprised by his wings and he considers this a good thing. Pfikingr often see him as different from Toothless but this to them is wrong. He is half of Toothless and Toothless is half of himself. They cannot be without the other. He knows now that it is his shape as a human but he is all dragon in everything else. E-e-kTT does not seem to care to tell him what he is or tell him no. He draws anyway as if he sees just another dragon and this makes him infinitely happier even if E-e-kTT does not see all dragon in him and is only interested in his wings.
When E-ek-TT is done he makes a noise and Hiccup is free to move again and leap onto Toothless's back and the two can approach E-e-kTT to see though they still do not get too close. The papers of them are held up and both of Tt-(click)-th-uhp-ss are drawn. Hiccup is pleased with it but he chatters to Toothless good like happy good you like yes you me good? and Toothless answers back yes good you me good like yes happy ofcourse.
E-e-kTT seemed to be done once they were happy with it and moved from where he was sitting to a table where a small flame glowed on a stick of wax.
Hiccup knows wax and he doesn't like it. When it is cold it is harmless, but when there is fire, wax melts but it is not like ice. Ice becomes water when it melts but wax becomes a sticky fire-water that grabs anything it touches and stings like bees that cannot be swatted off. He and Toothless have had many encounters with bees and once by chance they learned that bees cannot swim and don't like deep water so if they dive then they are safe from bees but wax that is biting and stinging only hardens faster and is harder to rip off after being in cold water but it is also impossible to rip off before it has turned hard and cooled without getting more stung and burned. He and Toothless will risk getting stung by bees because there is honey to be gained and they like the taste of it but there is no reward for being stung by wax so it is a thing to be avoided when it is on-fire.
It is that which makes him wary and he decides he does not want to go near E-e-kTT and the wax and instead they turn towards the empty cages where the rescued dragons are curled outside of them. The stranger dragons are wary but not hostile of both Tt-(click)-th-uhp-ss and the pfikingr and they keep a comfortable enough distance and show they are not a threat but friendly, thrumming a greeting and whistling a question you here good safe yes good curious hurting maybe you howareyou?
They know the dragons are not better yet as they can see the wounds and smell blood and sickness but they are away from bad pfikingr and so when they are better they can leave when they want when they couldn't before.
One of the stranger cousins that lifted their head returns wary hurting hurting bad confused hurting relief uncertainty relief threat nothreat humans confused hurting hungry tired bad hungry.
Stay you hungry food we us find stay rest we good find food, Hiccup tells them before he and Toothless prowl for food. They had seen before how E-e-kTT had brought dragons in cages food and so he thinks that it must be okay to find food from the pfikingr. He knows from many years being a good thief the places where pfikingr hide food in barrels and boxes and so that is where he looks and his nose tells him where to find fish where he cannot see them.
It is when they knock over a barrel that the pfikingr notice and one of them shouts and starts to run. It is a bad sign they know too well and their first instinct is to go on the defensive, Hiccup leaping onto Toothless's back as they snarl. Its enough to make the pfikingr hesitate and rethink challenging them but all the same Toothless's wings are spread to fly and his back legs bunched beneath him to launch into the air. They know that this is a pfikingr nest and that they are only tolerated by many in it so they will flee if they are attacked if they get a choice between fleeing and fighting but they will defend themselves and each other if they are cut off from escape.
E-e-kTT whistles at them sharply and earns the pfikingr's attention to wave them away and the two-who-are-one can see that the pfikingr is reluctant but obeys and leaves them alone. They relax but are unsure if E-e-kTT is letting them take the fish or if they are stealing but if it is a problem they figure that E-e-kTT will have told them No so they roll the barrel to the other side of the stone-nest where they dragons are and break it open. The other dragons are wary but eager and hungry and don't waste time in eating. Hiccup and Toothless are hungry too but they are strong and fit and they can catch their own prey while the wounded dragons cannot so they let the wounded dragons have all of the fish and leave to hunt for their own.
It is after they are filled with fish and content that they return and while they do not think there will be danger they are careful to scan from above before landing and are cautious to step back into the cave at first until they are able to see every side of it and assure themselves that the pfikingr will not attack them when they return.
Not much has changed but they are curious that E-e-kTT has not moved and he still has his drawings out and Hiccup especially wants to see what he plans to do with the drawings of dragons so they approach cautiously. He whistles curiously to get E-e-kTT's attention and immediately the He pfikingr knows what he wants to see and shows them.
They are drawings of wings that are not attached to anything and there are many variations of them but they look mostly-the-same to him and some are not finished being drawn. Some of them are like Hiccup's wings and are shorter and others are long like proper wings. Hiccup hasn't managed to figure out how to make wings for himself like Toothless's or Cloudjumper's though so he is not sure how E-e-kTT plans to make his own bigger wings but he secretly hopes he might learn a way to do so for himself because while he does not like pfikingr he knows they can make interesting and magical things.
Most of them make him happy but there are two that make him especially excited. Hiccup wants better wings but he is glad to have any at all and he can still fly. What he doesn't have is a tail and two pairs of wings that E-e-kTT has drawn have tails on them. Hiccup wants a tail as much as he wants wings but he has never figured out yet how to make a good tail but seeing E-e-kTT trying to make wings with a tail too makes him gleeful.
He already has many reasons to stay and help E-e-kTT but now he has another, and this new reason is the most irresistible he can think of now.