A/N: To be perfectly honest, I posted this chapter more quickly than the past few others because I couldn't stand to leave the story on 19 chapters. That number is just so unsatisfying. P.S.—Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows everyone :)
Disclaimer: 'Fraid not.
HICCUP'S POV
"Hiccup, are you sure about this?" My mom asked for the millionth time, handing me her pouch of coins. I took them from her and put them in my satchel, doing my best not to roll my eyes. "It doesn't feel right sending you back there by yourself," she fretted.
I grabbed her by the shoulders to capture her undivided attention, which felt odd considering our height difference. "Mom, seriously, I'll be fine. I won't be gone long. Besides, I know how to defend myself," I reminded her, taking a step back and unsheathing my dagger halfway for emphasis.
She sighed, but reluctantly nodded. "Alright...but if you need help, just shout as loud as you can. The dragons will hear," she promised.
I glanced up to where Toothless was precariously balanced on a tree branch, his tail swinging idly side to side as he listened to our conversation. He'd already made it clear how much he loathed the idea of me going back into the midst of all the humans alone. I had a feeling if he heard me yelling for help, there would be a lot of blood spilled on both sides. I wouldn't let it come to that, though.
"I won't be gone long," I repeated, breaking Toothless' worried gaze. My mom nodded, waving as I turned and headed deeper into the trees. I felt her eyes on me up until the point I was too far away to see. As unsettling as it felt to be completely alone for the first time in my life, my fear wasn't nearly as strong as it had been yesterday. I was fairly confident that the humans on this island were relatively harmless, as far as vikings go. They respected the peace pact, at least.
By the time I made it to the main village, it was already bustling with activity. It seemed like there were even more people than before. Perhaps other ships had arrived overnight. Not exactly good news for me, but I didn't have time to stress about it. I needed to find Camicazi. She told me last night to meet her in the square, so I quickly stepped into the flow of humans headed that direction. Luckily, I didn't need to worry about possibly being seen by someone from Berk. No one would recognize me, anyway.
Camicazi was exactly where she said she'd be, sitting on one of the logs that had been left out. She looked bored out of her mind. Her chin rested on top of her hand as she drew in the dirt lazily with her sword. As tempting as it was to sneak up behind her, I didn't want to get myself stabbed, so I settled for announcing my presence as I walked up to her. As soon as she heard my voice, her entire demeanor changed. She perked up, nearly dropping her sword as she jumped to her feet with an excited grin.
"There you are! I was afraid you'd disappeared on me!" She exclaimed, sheathing her sword. I held back a wince at her words. They'd almost been the truth.
"How could I? I owe you, remember?" I teased, quickly pulling out a coin from my satchel and tossing it to her. She caught it with practiced ease, briefly inspecting it before pocketing it with a satisfied smirk.
"I knew I was right about you," she remarked, crossing her arms.
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I told my mom about you last night. I told her you're one of the good ones. I was right," she elaborated. I was taken aback by the statement. She barely knew me! How could she possibly make a judgment like that?
Although...I suppose I've already formed my own opinion of her as well. Just the fact that I was back here talking to her was proof I trusted her to some extent. Cami was a bit eccentric, but I didn't believe she was dangerous. Not to the people she deemed her friends, anyway.
"Hey, did you find your mom after the bonfire?" Camicazi asked, disrupting my thoughts. "I didn't see either of you in the guest lodging. You didn't get lost, did you?" She joked.
I forced out a soft laugh. "Yeah, I found her," I answered simply, not going into any further detail. My lack of explanation clearly frustrated Cami, but our conversation was abruptly interrupted before she could interrogate me.
"Camicazi!"
I tensed up as a large boy—a couple years older than me if I had to guess—came sprinting up to us, out of breath with a wild, excited look in his eyes. He had shaggy brown hair, a muscular figure, and what appeared to be a tattoo of a Flame-scale (or Monstrous Nightmare as my mom would call it) on his shoulder. Overall, I found his appearance to be quite intimidating. Cami's relaxed posture was the only thing holding me in place.
"Wow, Thuggory, you look like crap," she snickered. I blinked in surprise, looking over the new arrival more closely. So this was her mysterious friend from the Meathead Tribe. He glared at her, taking in a deep breath. He must've ran quite a distance, based on the way his chest heaved and trickles of sweat ran down his temples.
"I ran all the way across the island, what do you expect?" He retorted. His gaze shifted to me, not looking at all confused by my presence. "Is this your partner in crime you were telling me about earlier?" He grinned mischievously, his irritation slipping away instantly.
Cami nodded, gesturing between us. "Thuggory, meet Hiccup. Hiccup, Thuggory," she said monotonously. Thuggory held out his hand, which I eyed suspiciously. After a few more awkward moments where neither of us moved or spoke a word, Cami groaned and slapped his hand away. "He's not so great with the touching thing, alright? Will you just tell us why you ran across the island already?" She complained.
Thuggory raised both hands in surrender. "Chill out, will you? Didn't your mother ever teach you patience?" He muttered.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to keep a girl waiting?" She snapped back. I glanced between them uncomfortably, seriously doubting the level of friendship these two shared. It probably would've been amusing watching them argue if the large male's presence wasn't so unnerving.
"You know what? I'll forgive your tone just this once because this information is too good not to share," he replied sarcastically, jabbing a finger towards her. She stared at him expectantly, as did I. His words had piqued my interest. Thuggory leaned forward, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. "I saw a dragon in the forest!" He told us, practically vibrating with excitement.
My blood ran cold and I couldn't help but gasp audibly in shock. Camicazi reacted similarly, only for a completely different reason. The fish I'd eaten for breakfast turned in my stomach, and I suppressed the urge to throw up. This can't be happening...
"Seriously? What kind of dragon?" Cami questioned.
"A Terrible Terror," he answered, and I was finally able to suck in a much-needed breath. Thank the gods...he didn't find Toothless. My relief was quickly drowned out by dread, though, as I realized that the humans finding any dragon was a disaster. Every dragon's life was significant.
Camicazi frowned, clearly unimpressed at the revelation. "That's it? A Terrible Terror? What's so exciting about that?" She grumbled. "Those things are as common as birds," she added.
"Well sure, but I bet you've never caught one," he countered. I gritted my teeth against my rising anger.
Camicazi narrowed her eyes. "You caught it?" She said, clearly not believing him.
His cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. "Well, not me, per se...its wing is trapped under a rock. It can't go anywhere," he explained.
"Did you hurt it?" I demanded, my voice harsher than I meant. It was impossible to reign in my emotions on the subject of dragons, though. Especially dragons in pain.
Thuggory started, obviously forgetting I was even there. "Uh...no. I just ran to tell Cami," he replied hesitantly, sensing my mood.
"Take me to it," I ordered, stepping towards him without really considering my actions. He rose to his full height and took half a step back, sending Camicazi a quick glance out of discomfort. She merely shrugged, just as clueless to the cause of my sudden intensity.
"Sure...it's a long way, though," he cautioned. I just glared back at him, waiting for him to get moving. "Alright then..." He gulped, turning on his heel. "Follow me."
I walked a few feet behind him, and Camicazi kept pace beside me. We were heading in the opposite direction of where I'd left Toothless, which I was extremely grateful for. I didn't want to hurt Camicazi or her friend, but I would if I had to. My family came first. Hopefully the dragon Thuggory had found wasn't too badly injured. My mom has healed a lot of broken wings, but some injuries are too horrible to come back from.
"Hey, you okay? You seem really tense," Cami whispered, elbowing me gently.
I looked straight ahead, unable to meet her gaze and pretend everything was fine. "I just want to see the dragon," I muttered, my fingers curling tightly around the handle of my dagger. I didn't exactly have a plan for when we reached our destination. I would help the Tiny-wing in whatever way I could, and if Cami or Thuggory tried to stop me...well, they would regret it. Hopefully my mom doesn't go looking for me when it takes me longer than expected to return. I was supposed to say goodbye to Cami and be done with it.
Thuggory cast multiple glances over his shoulder at me as we made our way across the island, past the outskirts of the village and into the eastern side of the forest. I'm sure he expected our first meeting to go a bit differently.
"Where are you from, Hiccup? I've been to almost all the tribes in the Archipelago and I've never seen you," he noted casually, slowing his steps a bit so I could catch up.
"I doubt you'd remember seeing me even if you had," I mumbled, glancing at the tattoo on his arm. I wondered why he would get one of a dragon, and not something a viking actually likes. Thuggory waited for me to continue, but I offered no further information. The corner of his mouth lifted, apparently amused by my deflection.
"This your first time on the island? You look pretty young," he said, looking me over briefly.
I glared at him challengingly. "Not much younger than you, I think," I retorted. "How old are you, anyway?" I asked.
"Twelve," he answered with a shrug.
"Although he acts like a five year old," Camicazi cut in, reaching behind me to shove him playfully. He stuck his tongue out at her, proving her point, then turned his attention back to me.
"I've been coming to this festival for years. It's a nice distraction. I hope you've had fun so far," he said sincerely. My defenses lowered a bit at his seemingly genuine nature. My hand subconsciously dropped away from my dagger.
"I'd like to come back at some point," I responded, surprising myself. It was true, though. I would like to return someday.
"You better come back next year!" Camicazi scowled. "You're not like the other vikings. You're actually interesting," she told me, bumping my shoulder.
"Hey!" Thuggory objected, insulted at the insinuation that he was not interesting. I cracked a smile, but it quickly fell away when I heard high-pitched screeching in the distance. We were deep in the forest by now, far from any other humans, and a small part of my mind wondered what Thuggory had been doing out here in the first place.
My muscles moved of their own accord, and I found myself sprinting towards the source of the sound, desperate to help a dragon in need. My companions followed at my heels. As we got closer, I could hear the Tiny-wing's pleas.
*Help help stuck rock wing trapped help anyone help!* The female shrieked, absolutely terrified at the prospect that no one would hear her. It was odd that she was alone. Tiny-wings almost always travel in groups.
When I cut through the last line of bushes, I saw her in the center of the clearing. She was next to a pond, so I guessed she'd flown down for a drink, and somehow the rock had been dislodged from the bank and fallen on her wing before she could react. It looked pretty heavy—I would need help lifting it. I rushed over to her, and she immediately began thrashing around in an attempt to get away.
*Stop moving, you'll make it worse!* I begged, and thankfully she stilled, shocked by my use of thought-speak. *I'm here to help you. You don't need to be afraid.* I promised. Cami and Thuggory came over and crouched next to me, completely oblivious to the conversation I was having with the dragon.
"What should we do with it?" Camicazi wondered, looking between us uncomfortably. Her usual cockiness was nowhere to be seen. Her hand drifted down to her sword, and this time I didn't bother withholding my sharp growl as I grabbed her wrist in an ironclad grip. She jumped, looking at me with wide eyes.
"You and Thuggory are going to help me get this rock off of her," I gritted out.
"What? Are you crazy?" Thuggory exclaimed, shaking his head. "We should kill it while it can't move!" He argued.
"We're not killing her!" I snapped, letting go of Cami and maneuvering myself between him and the Tiny-wing. The little dragon had remained silent, except for her rapid breaths.
"Her?" Cami echoed, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. My heart rate quickened at their stares, but I pushed down my own fear. I had to be brave now. It was my job.
They just need someone to show them...
"Listen to me," I began, softening my tone. Thuggory and Cami didn't say a word, waiting for me to explain myself. "The dragons...they aren't what you think, okay? They aren't evil. They're not mindless killers," I insisted. I moved to the side, then reached my hand out to run it along the Tiny-wings purple scales. *I won't hurt you.* I repeated, allowing her to sniff my hand briefly before I touched her. She crooned softly as I pet her, finding a bit of comfort through the pain. Thuggory and Cami watched on with dropped jaws.
"I-It's not biting you..." Cami observed in amazement, subconsciously leaning in closer.
"How are you doing that?" Thuggory questioned, his whole body tensed and ready as if for a fight.
I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "I showed her kindness, and she returned it. It's simple," I answered. He still looked unconvinced, so I pressed on. "How many dragons have you killed?"
Thuggory gulped, shifting his weight a bit. "None..." He replied reluctantly.
"Really? Wow...I thought..." I trailed off, noting his embarrassed expression. Why did he and Cami get so flustered when it came to their zero-kill record? "Okay, so why do you want to kill dragons?" I asked.
His face hardened. "Because they ransack our villages," he retorted.
"Some of them," Cami muttered under her breath, receiving a glare from the older boy in response.
"This Tin—Terrible Terror...didn't ransack your village," I pointed out. "She's done nothing to you." Thuggory squirmed, clearly not liking the direction this conversation was headed. Camicazi was staring at me with a thoughtful expression, and I wanted more than anything to know what she was thinking.
"I guess..." He grumbled.
"So, what...you want to kill her just for existing?" I throw my free hand up in the air in exasperation.
He huffed, crossing his arms. "Maybe! So what?" He protested childishly, unable to come up with a solid argument.
"So then how are you any better than the dragons raiding your villages?" I demanded. It was dead silent as my words hung heavy in the air between us, and I could tell I'd broken through the haze of aggression in some way. After a minute, Thuggory's shoulders sagged. Camicazi looked at the Tiny-wing curiously, her head tilting to the side.
"So...this one won't hurt us?" She wondered.
I shook my head quickly. "No, but she's in a lot of pain. Please...I know we don't really know each other, but I need your help. Wouldn't you rather save a life than take one?" I implored. The Tiny-wing purred, doing her best to convince the two humans that she was innocent. She was a smart one, for sure.
Camicazi glanced at Thuggory, then shrugged nonchalantly. "Why not? I got nothing else to do," she remarked sarcastically, smirking at me. I grinned, nodding at her gratefully. We both turned expectant gazes on Thuggory, who scowled once he realized he was outnumbered.
"Ugh, seriously?" He whined, and the tension between us dissipated instantly. "Fine, losers. I'd hate to see you start crying like little girls," he snorted, standing to his feet. "What do you want us to do, Hiccup?" I jumped to my feet, Cami following suit. I couldn't believe they actually were going to help me!
"U-Um, we need to...lift the rock. Together," I told them, wringing my hands nervously.
"Sure you want Thuggory's help? I'm not sure he could handle it," Cami teased. Thuggory rolled his eyes, walking around to the other side of the rock.
"Just shut up and lift," he ordered. She giggled, but obediently found a good grip on the rock, then waited for me to do the same.
*It'll be okay.* I soothed the Tiny-wing, who was watching us warily from her position on the ground. "Ready guys?" They both nodded. "One, two, three, lift!" We all grunted with effort as we picked up the rock and moved it to the side, freeing the dragon's wing. As soon as we put it down, I hurried to the Tiny-wing and snatched her up into the safety of my arms, examining the injured limb. It wasn't the worst break I'd ever seen...
Camicazi and Thuggory walked over hesitantly, sharing meaningful glances. "What are you going to do with it—her?" Thuggory asked, and I smiled at his correction.
"I'm going to take her home with me, let her heal, then release her," I replied, caressing her spine. Her eyelids fluttered with exhaustion. Who knew how long she was trapped under that rock, calling for help.
"Can I...?" Cami bit her lip, gesturing towards the dragon. I nodded encouragingly, stepping closer. Camicazi slowly reached forwards, brushing her fingers against the Tiny-wing's side. Her eyes widened at her own accomplishment and she laughed with wonder as the small dragon vibrated with contented purrs. "It's...kinda cute," she admitted.
"Wow, Camicazi, I never thought I'd see the day where you went soft," Thuggory joked, earning a very heated glare in return.
"At least I'm not a chicken. Why don't you come pet the Terrible Terror?" She countered, a wicked grin overtaking her features.
He took a step back, scratching the back of his head. "Um, actually...my dad will be looking for me. I should probably go..." He said, already glancing back towards the village.
"Scaredy cat," Cami whispered so only I could hear.
"Thanks for your help, Thuggory," I said honestly. "I think...I think you're one of the good ones," I declared. Cami raised an amused eyebrow as I spoke the same words she'd said to me earlier. He needed to hear them, though. They were the truth. Perhaps humans could be redeemed after all.
Thuggory hesitated in place for a moment, then decisively strode over to me and clapped me on the back. "Thanks, Hiccup. You might be a little...strange—" He nodded towards the Tiny-wing in my arms—"...but you seem like a good friend. I hope I'll see more of you. Don't be a stranger, okay?" He pointed a finger at me as a light warning. I nodded to appease him, though I couldn't say for sure if I'd ever see him again.
He gave me one last smile, then stepped away from us, heading back towards the village. "I'll see you later, Camicazi!" He called over his shoulder, waving a hand over his head without bothering to look back.
Once he was out of sight, Cami pulled away and crossed her arms. "So, you're leaving then?" She said dejectedly.
"Yeah...I was going to tell you when I first saw you today, actually. Something came up, so my mom and I have to go. I'm sorry we couldn't hang out more," I apologized awkwardly.
"You're hiding something," she accused bluntly, making me tense up.
"W-What? No—"
"Yes, you are," she interrupted. "From the moment we met, you've been hiding something," she said determinedly. I focused on the Tiny-wing, avoiding her gaze.
"I'm not hiding anything," I protested weakly.
"Stop lying, Hiccup." She sighed. "Thuggory isn't here. There's no one else around. You can trust me, I swear," she vowed.
I finally looked at her, my eyebrows furrowing. "Trust you? I've known you less than a day!" I exclaimed in disbelief.
Cami clenched her jaw, then suddenly yanked her sword out of its sheath. I flinched, cradling the Tiny-wing to my chest protectively. To my surprise, though, she tossed the sword away from us. It landed in the dirt with a soft clang. She stormed forwards, throwing her arms out to the sides.
"Hiccup, if I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it already," she stressed. "Look, I know we just met, and you don't owe me anything, but I can see right through you! Whatever you're hiding is eating away at you! I know what it's like to need a friend, okay? Just let me be your friend!" She pleaded, dropping her arms.
I swallowed uncomfortably, shocked by her outburst. Camicazi seemed to care about me, even though we were practically strangers. She was compassionate—something I didn't imagine the common viking to be capable of—and I couldn't help but want to spill every secret about my life. It would be nice to have someone to talk to that wasn't my mother or my dragon.
"I...I can't," I whispered, shaking my head slowly.
Camicazi groaned, shoving my chest in frustration. "Hiccup—"
A low, guttural growl suddenly reached our ears, coming from the forest, immediately causing Cami's words to die in her throat. It was the type of sound you could feel reverberate through your bones and still your heart with fear. Not mine, of course, because I would know that sound anywhere. I grew up with that sound. I was protected by that sound. My heart beat on steadily, even as I was filled with dread.
"Crap..."
