It was late at night; Hiccup was pushing a cart full of meat and fish; since he chose to be the Dragon's Keeper at night, he moved it into the arena.
"Hmm, Gobber said they're usually pounding on the doors or growling and roaring but it's quiet," Hiccup told himself. Hiccup opened the Gronkle, it walked out sleepily and its sight zeroed on Hiccup and got ready to charge, but Hiccup held two rocks stopping it and dropping them at its talons which gobbled them right up.
Hiccup stayed alert at a distance; the Gronkle walked up to with glaring and sniffing him; it backed up with a growl seeing his concealed swords. Hiccup unhooked his belt and leather straps, detaching the buckles of his drop-style sheaths holding his swords, and dropped it behind him, it relaxed and he tossed the dragon another rock which caught in its mouth eating it.
Five minutes later he led it back into its cage, then brought the Terrible Terror out. It was surprisingly cute but Hiccup didn't underestimate its size; The Terrible Terror is under Stoker Class in The Book of Dragons for a reason, he gave it some fish and it was on its way.
Then brought out the Deadly Nadder; The Dragon let out a screech like Squawk and was about to charge, but brought out a shiny mirror; remembering that Nadder's a great deal of Vanity it stopped admiring its reflection since it was checking every inch doing it.
"Yes, girl you are a beautiful dragon," Hiccup informed respectfully, tossing it some chicken and fish, and leading it back into its cage.
Brought out the Hideous Zippleback and fed it; saw it was trying to scratch an inch in its side, so Hiccup vigorously rubbed the dragon's side soothing and let it go back in.
Hiccup sighed for the last two: The Razorwhip and Monstrous Nightmare. The Nightmare was as temperamental as Astrid and high chances are, The Razorwhip is nursing a grudge against him. Hiccup opened the Razorwhip's cage it headed out and growled seeing the boy again.
"Okay, so we got off on the wrong foot, but I come with no Ill will," Hiccup spoke calmly and evenly. "Word around is. You like Mudslugs," he said, backing to the cart never taking eyes off of it and picking up a barrel of Mudslugs and carrying it over to the dragon which sniffed them and dug in.
"And I wasn't lying before; you are a beauty," Hiccup told it; he then saw it had a gash and a bruise on the ridge of the dragon's brow. "Sorry about that," he said and got some healing herbs and clean water; when the Razorwhip was done eating it looked him over again smelling him, and relaxed.
"Let's see this," Hiccup told it, gently placing his hands across the bruise and cut, making it growl in discomfort moving its head away. "Yeah, I reckon that twinges a bit," he rubbed his head with his hand. "But luckily I have a friend who's a healer," he promised, mushing some herbs and leaves, placing them on a cloth, gently rubbing it across the eye, and tying it over the dragon's eye.
Hiccup led it back to its cage, closed it, and finally opened the doors to the Monstrous Nightmare cage, but the dragon stayed in. Hiccup then put a basket of fish and yak steaks in the middle and backed up giving the dragon space.
The Nightmare slowly tromped out, ate its fill, went back into its cage, and closed it with a swipe of its tail, so Hiccup locked the cages fastened his sheaths back up, and headed out; his first night was a success.
Hiccup headed back to The Forge and got to work on something.
The young Viking sketched some new exercise equipment, then went to his house and slept. The following day, he woke up early and walked around the forest a 100-yards from The Cove, aside from tall grass and brush, a 50-yard open, so uses his swords he got to work cutting the long grass, then after a while Hiccup headed to the forge, getting to work.
Following the sketches Hiccup made pieces of a Salmon ladder, a rope climb, a pegboard, and monkey bars. Hiccup then loaded them in a large wagon and pushed it through the forest; arriving at the place got to work and called Raiju to help; together the Viking and dragon cleared the area and dug some holes, measuring the distances assembled the equipment. He added his previous exercise equipment to this area. The rope climb, the monkey bars, the pegboard, and finally a double Salmon ladder, each contraption was attached forming a miniature obstacle course.
Hiccup then got some exercise to test them; he pulled himself up the rope, across the monkey bars and peg board methodically, then the salmon ladder.
Grabbing the bar of solid iron, with one motion 'Klunk' sounded as the bar got into the rungs, followed by more 'Klunk's'
The young Viking did the course four times in a row without pausing, before stopping; Hiccup then returned to the Village.
Hiccup walked into the forge and saw Gobber working. "Ah Hiccup how was your night? Did the beasts scare you?" he teased.
"No, I just fed them and was on my way," Hiccup replied. "Although the Razorwhip did give me dirty looks," he said.
"Well, you did trick it into knocking itself out. Dragon's do carry a grudge Ya know" Gobber claimed.
The following days, turning to two weeks afterward at Night Hiccup was the dragon keeper, and during the day he was on his obstacle course, on his other exercising contraptions, honing his skills. Hiccup made a suit of heavy metal from one of Gobber's old cauldrons so that he could exercise with weighted equipment.
He kept the suit on for those two full weeks unless he was sleeping or bathing. Hiccup muscles were on fire from the exertion but he forced it down and pushed on.
During the last day of the week, he took the suit off as it felt it was getting tight; Hiccup saw the suit and exercises made his muscles grow more noticeable and toned, his shooting and sword skills improved considerably.
