A/N: I feel like I could sleep for a week. Is this really my 23rd chapter? I feel like I've barely written anything. I think this will start to feel like an actual story once I reach 50 chapters. So far, it feels more like a long drabble, lol.

Disclaimer: Nothing has changed since a couple days ago, so no.

HICCUP'S POV

The ground shook beneath my feet as I stumbled over a mixture of rocks jutting out from the forest floor and tree roots that had twisted up at unnatural angles. I was running as fast as my legs could carry me, but that meant less of my attention was devoted to keeping my balance. I'd already tripped at least three times in the current sprint for my life.

I cursed as the edge of my toe once again got lodged under a particularly nasty tangle of roots and I plunged face first towards the ground. A thorny twig grazed my cheek as I fell, eliciting a pained hiss from my lips. I threw my hands out to catch myself and wasted no time clawing at the dirt to drag myself back to my feet. Just that one second was precious time wasted.

Against my better judgment, I risked a glance over my shoulder, gasping as I attempted to regain my breath. My eyes widened as the bulking form of my pursuer bore down on my position, her large feet thundering against the earth in a sound that seemed to signal my impending doom. She snorted with contempt, tossing her head with the promise that if she reached me, her horn would end up through my torso.

I ignored the burning in my lungs and resumed my frantic dash for safety. The light at the end of the forest was my beacon of hope. If I could just reach the cliff, I would be in the clear. Unfortunately, for every step I gained, the Rumblehorn on my tail gained two. She was getting closer, and I knew this chase would come down to the last inch. I just needed my savior to come through.

"Toothless!" I shouted as loudly as physically possible with the amount of air I had left to spend. I prayed to all the gods that he could hear me. I knew he was in my general vicinity. Night-wings have excellent hearing, so my call would reach him, right? Right?

"Toothless!" I called again for extra measure, my eyes beginning to water from the lack of oxygen. I could practically feel the warm breath of the Rumblehorn on my heels, but I was almost there! Just a few more steps...

When my foot hit the cliff edge, I didn't hesitate, leaping off with all my strength. A wave crashed a hundred feet below, sending sea spray directly into my face just as I felt the tip of the dragon's horn brush against my shoulder. A burst of wind hit me in the back as the Rumblehorn gave a tremendous flap of her wings to keep herself on solid ground. She roared with frustration as I escaped her grasp, while I held in a scream of my own as I plummeted downward. The ocean appeared even more foreboding than usual as I fell towards certain death at an alarming rate.

Right when I gave into the reality these were actually to be my final moments, familiar claws hooked into my furry outer vest, lifting me back into the air. My body protested at the sudden change of direction, and I grunted as my shirt dug painfully into my skin. Toothless quickly threw me up into the air, then shifted to the side so I ended up landing in the saddle. I collapsed against him without bothering to put my feet in the stirrups, heaving as I gave him a grateful pat on the neck.

*Thanks, bud.* I mumbled tiredly, squinting against the sunlight that shined in my direct line of vision.

*You really can't stay out of trouble for one second, can you?* He responded, his chest rumbling with concern.

*Occupational hazard.* I returned with a cheeky smile, sitting up so I rested on my elbows. Seeing that I was relatively unharmed, he took the prime opportunity to smack me in the face with his ear fin. I spluttered indignantly, leaning back just in case he felt the urge to hit me a second time. *What was that for?* I complained, slowly slipping my left foot into its stirrup, then the right. My whole body ached from my long sprint, and I wanted nothing more than to be curled up with Toothless on our platform in the nest—preferably with nice Toothless and not abusive Toothless.

*For giving me a heart attack for the gazillionth time!* He retorted, curving upward towards a nearby sea stack. I shifted my weight naturally to match his movements.

*I had it perfectly under control.* I lied, waving him off.

*Oh, sure, that's what it looked like from my perspective.* He snorted, flapping his wings to soften his landing on the grassy, deserted hunk of rock. I glanced over my shoulder at the island we'd left behind, relieved to find no trace of the Rumblehorn. She must've returned to her eggs. If I'd known I was invading on a mother's territory, I would've steered clear. Since I'd sent Toothless off to go fishing for a meal, he hadn't been there to warn me of the scents. The whole fiasco was certainly my fault, but admitting that to my already egotistical dragon hardly seemed like a desirable option.

I hopped out of the saddle, regretting that decision when my knees buckled, my legs feeling like jelly now that the adrenaline was wearing off. With lightning speed, Toothless spun around to catch me before I fell over. He held me up with his head, and I leaned against him, thankful for the support.

*I just need a minute.* I assured him, slowly lowering myself to the ground. I felt like an old man needing to take a rest like this. I'm twelve—I should be much more energetic. To be fair, though, my training was more combat based. I only ran when it was necessary. Why run when you have a flying companion?

Toothless raised a scaly brow, his expression full of mischief. I could read his intentions easily and tried to block his snout as he lunged forward to lick me, but I was much too sluggish to avoid his large tongue.

*Toothless!* I yelped as he pushed me over so I was lying on my back, then turned my head to the side and squeezed my eyes shut as he spread his disgusting slobber all over my face. I placed both hands on his nose and shoved as hard as I could, unable to contain my laugh as his warm breath tickled my ear. *Get off, you useless reptile!* I whined, slapping his cheek lightly. After a few more licks, he finally relented, lying down next to me with a satisfied warble. I wiped desperately at my face, using my sleeve to clean off as much saliva as possible.

Once I was relatively dry, I sat up and reached for the saddlebag. Toothless shifted closer to make it easier, letting out a bored yawn. I pulled out my map and spread it on the ground next to me, flattening out the edges with my palm. It had started as a small sheet of paper, but over the years I'd managed to roam to dozens of islands, each one adding to the size of my map. Not only did I draw out the general shape of the island itself, but I also noted any interesting discoveries or landmarks I came across. One day I hoped to map the entire Archipelago...and maybe even beyond.

I grabbed a pencil from my satchel and went to work on drawing the island we'd just flown away from. My intentions had been to search around for anything worth adding to my map—useful materials or something of the like—but the Rumblehorn had chased me off before I got the chance. For now I'd simply mark down the shape and location of the island, and come back at some other time. Hopefully the Rumblehorn will have moved on by then.

*What's a good name, bud?* I asked, nodding towards the island. He'd been chewing lightly on my foot—teeth retracted—while I drew, but now he followed my gaze, tilting his head in consideration.

*Near Death Island? Oh, but wait! That's every island you've ever been to.* He remarked with hooded lids, resting his head on top of my legs.

I rolled my eyes. *How about Drama Queen Island?* I quipped, shaking my head in exasperation. The corner of his upper lip lifted to show off his teeth as he let out a short growl. He was always a little more snippy when he was hungry. I'm guessing he didn't get to catch anything before I called for his help earlier. I'd make sure he ate on our way home.

My hand absentmindedly reached up to brush the scratch on my cheek I'd received while running away from the Rumblehorn, but I was met with smooth skin. I smiled softly, realizing Toothless' saliva had already healed the minor injury. I'd definitely be covered in scars by now if it weren't for him. I bent over my map, writing in Guardian Island directly below my drawing.

*Come on, bud.* I sighed, folding up my map and depositing it back in the saddlebag, along with my pencil. Toothless jumped to his feet, grabbing my hand in his gummy mouth to help me stand up. I gave him an affectionate scratch on the jaw before climbing into the saddle. He stretched his wings one last time before bounding forwards and jumping off the sea stack, flapping vigorously to gain altitude. Once we were above the clouds, he straightened out, riding the wind.

*Don't you want to eat?* I wondered, leaning over to place my hand on his scaly side. After a moment I felt a slight rumble, so that proved he was hungry.

*I want to get some distance from that island first.* He explained. I nodded in acknowledgement.

*Hey, I wanted to ask before we got back to the nest—do you think Mom has been acting weird lately?* I questioned, thinking about her behavior this past week. She'd been much more...watchful than usual, almost as if she'd been taking mental notes of everything I said and did.

Toothless glanced sideways at me with curiosity. *I haven't noticed anything. Then again, I'm not as well-versed in human behavior as you.* He added.

I snorted in amusement. *Trust me, bud. I'm as clueless as you are.* I told him, pursing my lips in thought. Maybe I was just imagining things.


When we got home, my first thought was sleep. The sun had begun to set, only adding to my exhaustion. Toothless obviously felt the same. His paws dragged as he padded behind me through the dark tunnel leading to the main cavern. I planned to say a quick goodnight to my mom and head to my room.

As soon as I stepped into the cavern, the familiar sound of a thin object cutting through air lit up my tired senses and I reflexively dodged to the side. The smooth wood of my mom's staff slammed the ground where I'd just been standing, and I took another step back in shock. Toothless was frozen in place, his pupils narrowed as he tried to figure out if there was danger.

*Mom?!* I exclaimed, my eyes zeroing in on her as she straightened up and faced me, twirling her weapon around to adjust her grip. Without a word, she went on the attack once again, swinging out her staff. I ducked to avoid getting hit in the head, then immediately jumped as she tried to sweep my legs out from under me with her next movement. With fluid grace, she lunged forward, jabbing the end of her staff directly towards my midsection. Acting on pure instinct, I twisted at the last moment, grabbing hold of the staff in the same motion with my left hand while delivering a punishing elbow to her gut on the right. She doubled over with the force of it, automatically releasing her weapon.

"Good. Very good," she groaned, holding an arm across her stomach. My eyes widened, and I quickly threw her staff to the ground, reaching up to grip my hair with both hands.

*Mom! What was that?!* I demanded, unsure whether to be angry at the random attack or worried that I hurt her. Toothless padded over to us, just as confused as me. She was honestly lucky he was too shocked to do anything to stop her. He had trouble differentiating between real threats and practice fights.

She took in a deep breath, then stood up with an accomplished smile. "Just a little test of your reflexes. I wanted to make sure you're ready," she replied. I let my hands fall to my sides, staring at her as I waited for elaboration. "I'm taking you on your first mission tomorrow!" She announced, clapping her hands together with excitement.

My jaw dropped at the unexpected news. *W-What?* I stammered, my heart starting to beat harshly in the hopes that I'd heard her correctly. My mom shuffled over to me, wincing slightly, and placed both hands on my shoulders as she met my gaze. The top of my head reached just past her shoulders, so she only had to bend slightly.

"It's happening, Hiccup," she reiterated. "You've done excellent in your training, and you're old enough now. Tomorrow, I'm taking you on your first mission," she promised.

A slow grin spread across my face, and I sprung forward to wrap her in a tight hug, laughing with joy. *I can't believe this! I finally get to rescue dragons?* I pulled away, immediately falling into a distracted pace. *When are we leaving? Where are we going? Did you already do recon? How many dragons are there?* I rambled, my mind running through a million possibilities. I'd finally be able to put my flight suit to use! It's been finished for ages, but I never needed it for regular flights. I wanted to save it for the right moment.

A soft croon captured my attention, and I paused, looking over at Toothless. His worried expression had me rushing to comfort him. I grabbed his head gently between my hands, pressing my forehead to his own. *It's okay, bud. I'm ready for this. I've been ready. Besides, you'll be there to watch my back.* I reassured him.

"Actually," my mom cut in, raising a finger with a remorseful cringe. "He won't. Toothless isn't coming," she told me firmly.

Both of us recoiled at her words, then Toothless took a step towards her with narrowed eyes, a frightening hiss escaping through his teeth. My mom stood her ground without so much as a flinch, accustomed to his overprotective reactions. I wondered if she ever felt afraid facing off with him when he was in these states of hostility. If she was, she didn't let it show. I placed my hand on the crown of Toothless' head, preventing him from doing anything he'd regret. His stance didn't change, but he didn't try to fight me either.

*Why not?* I asked, my tone laced with disappointment.

Her expression softened. "I don't like separating you two, but neither of you have been on a mission. I can't teach both of you at the same time. I want you to be with me the whole time so I can walk you through it," she explained. As much as I hated to admit it, her point was valid. Toothless and I would be a liability due to our lack of experience. A mistake from just one of us would mean hurting the other. It would be better if I learned the ropes first, then worked with Toothless once I had an idea of what to do. After all, he took direction from me most of the time. I didn't want to be the reason he ended up getting killed.

I huffed, nodding in acquiescence. Toothless remained unmoved, his glare seeming to pierce through to my mom's soul. I ran my hand over his cheek soothingly, hoping to calm him down. *She's right, bud. I don't like it, but she's right. It's safer this way.* I urged.

*Safer? Hardly.* He growled, rigid as stone. My mom crossed her arms, unwilling to break his gaze until he snapped out of his aggressive state. They had a shaky power dynamic. Most of the time, he responded to her the same way I did—proud when she praised him, submissive when she scolded him, loving when she showed him affection—but their relationship shifted when it came to me. Toothless considered protecting me his number one priority, even if it meant protecting me from my own mother.

*It's just this once. You'll come with me on the next mission.* I promised. He wavered a bit, his gaze sliding over to meet mine. I smiled encouragingly, and after a few more seconds of deliberation, he finally relaxed his posture, turning to rub his head against my chest with a deep purr. My mom's shoulders sagged with relief, and she walked over to pick up her discarded staff. I lifted Toothless' head so I could look him in the eyes, and he gave me a single lick square in the face that had me scrunching my nose with a short giggle. *Why don't you go to our room and heat up the platform? I'll be right behind you.* I suggested. He warbled in agreement, bumping his head against my chest lightly before taking off down the dark tunnel that led to our room.

My mom was leaning over the table at the center of the room, already waiting for me to approach. Her smile was genuine as I walked over, nervously biting my lip. There were a dozen papers spread out in front of her, and I glanced over them curiously. To my surprise, I recognized most of them. My mom liked to involve me in the planning portion of her missions—an effort to prepare me for the future.

"See this island?" She pointed it out on her own map, which was much less detailed than mine and only showed our general surroundings. I nodded in response. The island was located north of us, quite close to the nest—just an hour long flight. Her expression turned grim. "That's where they're set up," she revealed.

My eyes widened in alarm. *Hunters have never come this close to the nest before!* I exclaimed.

"Which is why we need to shut it down before they gain too much ground," she concluded, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked at the information in front of her. "I don't want them setting up a base of operation, or they'd end up expanding south, right to us. We go in, not just to set the dragons they've captured free, but to destroy everything they've built," she declared.

I raised a dubious eyebrow. *You sure you don't want Toothless to come? Night-wings have a specialty in destruction.* I reminded her, grinning internally at the thought of Toothless blowing the hunters' base to smithereens.

My mom rolled her eyes, understanding the underlying meaning in my words. "I'm sure. This job requires a bit more tact than blowing everything up on sight," she drawled.

I shrugged. *Okay, if you say so.*

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" She checked, ruffling my hair affectionately. I nodded enthusiastically.

*Absolutely.* I answered, lifting my chin with determination. I'd never wanted anything more.


P.S. —In the previous chapter, Hiccup is 8 years old. In this chapter, he is 12. That's four years I've skipped over, which is a lot, I know, but just imagine all the one-shots I could write after I finish this story that take place during that period of time ;D