Rather fast had Toothless fell asleep, his breath calm, even, his eyelids relaxed, loosened, and his heartbeat slow, steady, whereas the reddish sunrise was illuminating his scales of navy color underneath the glow. Therefore, Hiccup wasn't very inclined to leave, wished to stare at that view more, however, having in mind the village's state, also Gobber, whose concern could've grown wide, she sighed, then slid from underneath the warmth of male's wing, unsatisfied.
Only once more had she glanced at him, smiled rather brightly, delighted even, before glooming back, the rays of the sun labeling the way out of the cove, and so, out of the security, out of the warmth, out of the happiness. Sooner than later, she'd reached her household, barely climbed the stairs, and entered her room, at once landing on her bed, the heat of the sheets, blankets, and pillows, not in the slightest, meeting her needs.
Hence, she'd not slept for even a mere second, staring at the wooden ceiling, also the frame of the window above herself, her eyes once by once closing and opening, and once she was about to doze off, the shouts sobered her. Sitting up, the groan fleeing her mouth, she rubbed her lids, then stood up on the bed, took in the sight of outside, being half-body into the window's frame, her eyes narrowed whilst sighting the crowd, gathered just off her home.
Ultimately, even though she'd desired to simply shut her window sharp, she'd gnashed her teeth but clambered the roof, not very much pleased with what the better view presented - the livid mob, uprising. Foremost yet, the pressure fetched for her the sight of a Viking, greatly at the front, the sheep by his side, the gray hair atop his head, the wooden staff in his grasp, the mildew, green eyes glaring at everybody collected.
"The Night Fury! Dreadful demon, havin' its hide inside our very woods!" he boomed, throwing the thin, elderly arms around, his staff rustling within. "It'll destroy everythin'! From our houses to the supplies, even lives!" he continued, triggering the fear, the dread on people's faces. "We must act-!"
"Get, the fuck, out of my way!" the voice, in which she'd recognized Gobber, ordered, and the owner, after pushing through the public, his eyebags dark, glowered at the elder man, grumbling, "What's it today, Mildew? The meat-eatin' larva? Lethal virus from lettuce?"
"Monster!" Mildew yapped, puncturing the soil with his staff, hard. "The Night Fury, which-,"
"Godsdamnit, Mildew! We've talked about it, already!" Gobber yelped, his pointing finger stabbing the other man's personal space. "The Night Fury escaped yesterday, flew away, and there's nothin' anybody might do!"
"Ya ain't understand, Gobber!" Mildew screamed, looming at the weary man, fiercely. "I caught it, just the evenin' before!"
"Great, so the trap, which I've spent tons of metal for, came in handy, at last," Gobber responded, crossing his arms whilst lifting his chin. "So, ye're in need of carry?"
"Actually," Mildew started, caressing the edge of his staff, "it got out."
"And so, my will to live," Gobber mumbled, stroking his eyebrows, before snapping, "I understand that I wasted-!"
"Ya ain't still understand! The Fury demolished my house, took revenge on me, and will be back!" Mildew interrupted, smacking Gobber's head with his staff, and turned to the people. "Maybe, it's still out there, beyond our mountains, our forests. We can't ignore it! We must fight!"
No wonder, that afterward, the exclaims of agreement enveloped the space, resulting in Hiccup's rather discontent, after all, they'd talked about affecting not only her safeness but also Toothless's. Well, she wasn't much concerned about him though, he would've managed to encounter them, however, with Vikings, walking around the woods, she could've lost the cove, their place, and she couldn't let that happen.
"The Night Fury?" Hiccup asked, her voice loud, so summoning everybody's attention, and stood up, leaning against the roof's decoration. "What's that nonsense?"
"If it's not Hiccup Haddock, the future chiefness," Mildew greeted, anyhow lousy, the smirk painted on his face, "on the roof, avoidin' duties as always."
"So that to avoid this horrible breath, also," she replied, smiling innocently. "It's impossible to survive it."
"Lady, ye're not forgettin' yerself, by chance?" Mildew countered, narrowing his eyes at her, intensively. "Make yerself useful at last, and join us."
"Do I really have to?" she inquired, but slid through the roof, landed on the footing, came over to the center, and took a stance by Gobber, her brows furrowed when so. "Now, what do ya want?"
"The search team," he answered, surprising both the blacksmith and his subordinate. "Since the chief isn't available, ye're both in charge the most," he acknowledged, pointing them to the crowd. "We need the permission of the authority, by which such a team would be formed."
"Ye're insane, Mildew!" Gobber yelled, his expression overtaken by tiredness and vexation. "Perhaps even, ya'll be in charge of so said group! Why ya'd think, that I'll agree to that?"
"So that's how it'll be! Our leaders wash their hands of responsibility!" Mildew accused, and the yelling crowd backed him up. "And what ya'll say if someone dies?! Our women and children are endangered, and ye're goin' to omit that?!"
"Enough, Mildew!" Gobber bellowed, barely upholding himself at his prosthesis. "I ain't want to hear anymore-!"
"Gobber, let me handle it," Hiccup insisted, relying her hand on his shoulder, and, as he nodded, stared at Mildew, emotionless. "Mildew, ain't ya think, ye're demandin' too much?"
"Too much?!" Mildew sniggered, looking down to her. "I'm demandin' too less!"
"Hypothetically, even if I had such the power, which ye've mentioned, I'd like to remind, the best of troopers are at the travel to the dragons' nest, and so, we've been left with few," she described, facing him, calmly. "Ye're expect me to send men at the search, and leave the Village unguarded? Nobody would be dumb enough for that, maybe except ya, apparently."
Consequently, the mob silenced, nobody dared to question her words, and thus Mildew, forfeiting his backup, muttered, "Useless brat," which Hiccup didn't pass up.
"Tell me Mildew, if it wasn't for the forgone house, if it wasn't for the lost dragon, ya'd ever care to step inside the Village, meet with the people?" she asked, loudly so everybody could've listened and aggravated. "Truth to be told, ye're ignorant of us, came here seekin' for help, although never return the favor, never care back. If I were ya, I'd go back home, assist in rebuilding', and shut my mouth from constant complainin'," she finished, went to leave, although stopped by wildly red Mildew and whispered, "Who's useless now?" before walking off, one word in her mind - control, control, control.
Notwithstanding how she'd suffered from sleep deprivation, Hiccup strolled in the direction of the cove, fully aware that Mildew wasn't that easy to discourage, and Toothless should be on better guard, from now on. That's how she'd explained her behavior at least, because honestly, she'd just wished to return to the previous position, from the very, early morning, when the warmth outright lulled her, invited her to slumber.
The idea itself absorbed her, so she barely noticed and avoided it when the axe soared inches from her face and jabbed into the tree's bark, which she'd had the opportunity to see, and which had enraged her, just hours ago. Immediately had she recognized whom she had behind her back, and so, shut her eyes, gritting her teeth in annoyance, before turning around, facing the woman, whose sight sickened, by now.
"Astird," Hiccup greeted, forcing a grin on her face, which must've looked much fake. "What a lovely encounter."
"Haddock," Astrid muttered, approached her, maintaining a serious expression, and pulled her axe out from the wood. "I've heard, how ye've stood up to Mildew. Impressive."
"Oh," Hiccup murmured, staring at the woman, cocking her eyebrows, stunned. "I'd expect anythin', but that from ya."
"'though, as for the last speech, I wondered, if the words were addressed to Mildew or yerself, after all, ye're alike, avoidin' everybody on a daily basis," Astrid pointed out, and secretly, Hiccup rolled her eyes, irritated. "Why ye've not come? Not for nothin' was Snotlout's invitation."
"I've got better things to do," Hiccup replied, gazing at her eyes, unfazed. "Besides, ye're not satisfied? I guessed ye're not fond much of my presence."
"I know ya, Haddock. I know, ya'd not pass such an opportunity for anythin'," Astrid stated, lifting her axe to their eye level, "Ye're hidin' somethin'."
"Ya know nothin', Hofferson," Hiccup countered, walking backward whereas Astrid glared at her, following her each step. "Furthermore, quit tracin' the life, which ain't involve yerself."
"I will trace the life, which destroys mine, repeatedly!" Astrid shouted, the edge of her axe applied to Hiccup's neck whereas the quick silence encircled them.
"I haven't done that on purpose, Astrid," Hiccup confessed, then stopped her track, lacking the ground under her foot, and glimpsing the hill behind, the startle crossed her face. "We've been merely kids, then. Why ya'll not just let that go?"
"Never! Such a thin' is not forgotten," Astrid rasped, before snagging the weaponry away, rapidly cutting Hiccup's skin. "I'm onto ya, remember it."
Ultimately, while Hiccup held onto the almost lethal scratch, the drops of blood flowing between her fingers, gaping at Astrid disbelieving, the second simply stank her chest, before leaving, vanishing from before Hiccup's eyes. Despite the very passage of time, she'd remained stunned, her hand plastered over her heart, hoping to reduce the velocity, which wasn't the easiest, having in mind Astrid could've killed her, just seconds ago.
Eventually, after a matter of minutes, she'd managed to loosen herself and was about to walk off by the swaying legs, however, as the stones rolled underneath her feet, she couldn't balance herself, and fell back, straight into the hill's slide. Subsequently, the gravity smacked her body against the soil, once by once crushing her skin, hence producing dark bruises, and after a longer while, she landed at the bottom of elevation, her stomach first.
Having the oxygen pushed out of her lungs, she gasped soundly, coughed out the dirt, then took a few, shallow breaths, her eyes flooded by the dense tears, which obscured the reality and clouded it entirely. That'd anyhow settled her down, alas, the fright returned, once realizing she couldn't move her arm, her sleeve was stained by the intense red, and, on top of that, the reality decided not to be very generous.
By the fall, she'd created the chain reaction, which resulted in an avalanche of rocks, these sharp and heavy that, again and again, slammed her body, as if she'd been constantly punched, punished for each her sin. At last, the fear took control of her, and she'd curled tight, circling her arms around her head, the sobs escaping her mouth, and before she'd known that, she'd screamed, her voice being the whisper in her ears.
"Astrid, Astrid!" Hiccup shrieked, cried fearfully, and losing all common sense, yelled, "Toothless!" afterward being knocked out, feeling an impact at the back of her head, her world turning black.
As she opened her eyes, the darkness of the night enveloped her, and she struggled to discern any detail in the surroundings, her pupils dilating, trying to adjust to the lack of light, stirring from the slumber. Gazing around, she'd tensed her eyelids, being blinded by the inflamed bonfire just off, then blinked, getting used to the black background, rather shocked when recognizing the cove in it, greyish and gloomy.
Eventually, she'd tried to stir anyhow, although found herself unable due to the weight situated up her shoulders, and glancing to the source, glimpsed the broad arm, wrapped around her body, maintaining her close by the very owner. Having his hand on her farther forearm, the other holding hers, Toothless slept, his head leaned at her own, his back relied on the pine's bark behind, and legs, like hers, spread out the front, heated by the fire.
His slumber was anything, but restful - his breath restless, uneven, his eyelids tensed, stiff, and his heartbeat hastened, irregular, whereas the orangish glimmer illuminated the overwhelmed, tauten features of his face. Therefore, the worry welcomed itself on her expression, and she'd tangled her fingers with his own, however, that wouldn't help much, and soon, he trashed his head around, the mumbles of anxiety coming out of him.
Immediately had she reacted to that, her eyebrows frowned, her hand, free of the grasp, reaching out for him, as she'd shushed him, the sound, somewhat, soothing him whilst he'd not squirmed anymore, breathed soundly. Staring at him, at the slight, black bangs, the aquiline nose, and eyelids, covering the bright, green eyes, she'd finally smiled, until she grazed her fingers along his square, handsome jaw, and he opened his eyes, rapidly.
It happened within the momentum - previously gentle arm toppled her over to the soil, his hand jerked out of her grip, currently pinned her shoulder down as he glared at her, his eyes filled with dangerous wrath. Consequently, she'd not dared to move nor speak, just gaped at him, the surprise overtaking his expression, and watched, how he'd slowly recognized her, his features losing on the fury, then backed away.
Herself, Hiccup sat up and eyed Toothless, who lacked the courage to gaze at her as he apologized, "I-I'm very sorry," scratching his neck to redness.
"I'm fine," she responded, tilted her head whilst adding, "What about ya? Ye're fine?"
Subsequently, at last, he'd glanced at her, scanned her whole within a millisecond, his jaw visibly clenching, and mumbled, "Excuse me," before standing up, bolting somewhere to the side.
Confused, Hiccup remained still, unsure whether she should've followed him or not, whereas he'd stood by back to her, until ultimately, she realized it all, and his shoulders shook within the sob as he covered his face, drowning out the sound. Her heart broke in the even two parts afterward, then instantly, she approached him, even if gradually, and stood up to his hidden face, forcing the bare, comforting smile on her face.
"Toothless," she started, pulling away his arm, which obscured his eyes, although he'd been fast to turn his head away, thereafter. "Look at me, please."
Cupping his cheeks, Hiccup coerced him to gaze forward, and so, she glimpsed his glimmering eyes, the thick tears flowing on his skin, which she wiped off, brushing her thumbs against them, never quitting smiling. Out of a sudden then, Toothless embraced her tight, his hand taking off her hood which she'd noticed just now, hiding his face in her hair, whilst Hiccup returned the favor, swathing her arms around his waist.
"For sake, I was so fucking worried," he whispered into her hair, and she ran her hands up and down his back. "Your screaming had woken me up, and I-I didn't know what was happening, I panicked, couldn't find you, I-," he paused, taking a shaky inhale. "Believe it when I say, the view of you, laying unconscious on the ground, with your arm bleeding, crooked out of place-," he stopped, his arms almost smashing her bones, which she'd ignored.
"I've had a dislocated arm," she muttered, much more rather to herself, surprised when able to shift it. "Ye've set it back."
"I don't know, I don't know, Hiccup! I've just wanted it to be back in place," he explained, the alarm crossing his voice. "I've done everything I could. I've thought about taking you to the Village, no matter how absurd that sounded. I've worried that I've done not enough to save you, that I've been not enough."
"And yet, I'm here, standin' in front of ya, safe and sound," she spotted, pressing her cheek tighter against his skin. "Ye've saved me, thank ya."
"It's alright, it always is," he responded, sniffled, then disgusted even, inching away, wiping his face. "Freaking tears. I've never cried in life, but I hate it already."
"That's alright, just an innate, natural reaction," she replied, grazing her knuckles against the side of his cheek, getting rid of the single tear's stop, which he'd missed, and stared at him, her eyes shimmering. "The natural reaction of care."
Later on, he'd weakly smiled, exhaling steadily, before leaning his forehead at her shoulder, meanwhile, she squeezed her mouth into the side of his neck, utilizing the temporary silence, just so to take in the sight of herself. As it turned out, her wounded arm was bandaged, she'd worn the leather vest possessing the hood - of Toothless's property - and headache appeared and disappeared, until being completely repressed when he spoke.
"I'll kill that bitch," he muttered, his voice deep as never before, causing a shiver down her back.
"W-Who?"
"I think you know that, already," he stated, lifting his head, so Hiccup could've seen his expression - dreadful and grave. "Her name was on your lips, before shouting mine."
"It was an accident, Toothless," she pressed, and he'd raised his brow, questioning. "I've tripped, that's all. It was my, sole fault."
"Bullshit," he disputed, drawing back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why would you call for her, if so?"
"We've been talkin' before it happened," she explained, firmly sticking with the truth. "I've hoped she'd come."
"And she hasn't, even if you were badly hurt," he pointed out, at last cutting slack to hardened expression. "Why does she hate you so much?"
"It's a lon' story," she noted, nervously stabbing her nails into her palm.
"We've got all the night long," he noticed, gently taking her hand in his as she glanced at him, vulnerable. "Tell me as much or as little as you'd like to."
Not exactly afterward had she started speaking, because firstly, Toothless escorted her to the pine and assisted her into settling herself down, before leaving her, just so to gather a couple of sticks for the bonfire, which was extinguishing. In the meantime waiting, Hiccup checked her injuries out, untying the white fabric, which, fortunately, shielded a few scratches, formed by whacks of sharp stones, other than that nothing, hence making the bandage's case temporary.
At some point, she'd peeked at Toothless, who bent down to lift the branch, then, out of the blue, grimaced, gnashed his teeth tight, and after the moment, gathered himself up, as if nothing happened, as if it was nothing. At last, he'd tossed the dry wood into the fire, which burst with embers, before sitting down by Hiccup, raising an eyebrow at her whereas she stared at him, her expression painted with concern.
"How's your injury?" she asked, and Toothless widened his eyes, caught red-handed. "Show me, please."
At the very first, he'd been much against the idea and stared at her, assuming that would change her mind, however, as she'd only stared back, stubborn as always, he surrendered, raised the corner of his new, black tunic for her to see. Thus, she'd hissed, when glimpsing the rather huge gash, dragged on from the bottom of his armpit toward the upper part of the hip, much larger from the night before, as if outstretched.
"And so, that's what happens when you transform injured," he clarified, pulling the material back at himself whilst she'd gaped at him, worried. "It only looks bad, rarely pains."
"Ye're sure?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes, skeptically. "Maybe I could-,"
"You don't bother with me, and better say, what bothers you," he urged, shifted nigher whereas the uncertainty overtook her expression. "Please."
"Ya'll not let it go, will ya?" she inquired, sighing whilst he'd shaken his head, then started, "Once, ye've told me about yer beginnin' of the curse. Now, it's my turn," she said, her gaze fixed ahead. "I've never had a good reaction with Astrid, though earlier, we've been indifferent toward each other, mostly. She's avoided me, I've avoided her, and that was good. That, of course, changed when I made a mistake, which led to the hatred of not only Astrid but everyone, actually."
"Mistake?" he repeated, leaning his back at the tree, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why would a mistake be the reason for such hate?"
"Betrayal," she answered, smiled bitterly. "Ye're familiar with our trainin', right?" she asked and he nodded, certain. "By the very finish of them, there's an award for whoever did the best. Five years ago, Astrid won it - the opportunity to kill the dragon, in front of the entire tribe."
"Why endangering one's life would be an award?" he questioned, furrowing his brows. "That's rather cruel if you ask me."
"'s an honor that every warrior craves for," she clarified, sticking her chest out. "Generations of family benefits from so."
"What about raids, then?" he pointed out, whilst they'd glanced at each other. "You're killing dragons there, constantly even."
"Right, but that's not an ordinary dragon to kill."
"If so, what's it?"
"Monstrous Nightmare," she replied, then sank in herself. "'s on the most dangerous out here. Only a few can handle such a beast."
"The worse the monster, the better the prize?" he deduced, stared at her, amazed. "For that means, back then, when I was tied with rope-,"
"I've dropped out the chance," she interrupted, although her beam was honest. "'s not that much of a deal. I'd not kill ya either way."
"Why? You've had your knife, inches over my heart, over the heart of a fucking Night Fury," he spotted, confused. "You've given up the chance to gain everybody's respect. Why?"
"I just couldn't kill," she replied, shrugging. "I'm too weak for that."
Subsequently, he'd gaped at her, exhaled while grinning, before pulling her into a tight embrace, whispering, "You're incredible, Hiccup," treasuring it when she'd returned it, then added, suddenly, "Incredibly stupid, but still."
"And ye're still an asshole, whom I should've killed time ago," she joked, parted from him whilst grunting. "So anyway, Astrid was given the honor, or at least was goin' to, if it wasn't for me."
"How so?"
"Well, as ye're aware already, the curse has never been easy to deal with, even when I've not known about it yet," she recalled, lowered her eyes to the soil, to her curled feet. "The very night before the Astrid's honor, when walkin' past the arena, I started hearin' voices. They were mere, comin' out of the cage, and I worried someone might be trapped in there. Unfortunately, the truth was the other, and I-," she paused, pursed her lips together, tight.
"It wasn't someone," he finished for her, his eyes drilled on the sky, as if on the gods themselves. "You've released a dragon."
"Not only that, I released Monstrous Nightmare, one of the most feared dragons, and which Astrid's been supposed to kill," she elucidated, the tears gathering inside her eyes. "Since then, everybody on the isle seemed to despise me. I've been assigned the name Hiccup the useless, and became the very curse of the tribe," she confessed, stabbing her fingers into her eyelids, covering the flood. "I've no idea why am I cryin'. I've accepted my fate already, but that's as if the pain's back and-,"
"Oh, sunshine," he cut in, replied his hand at the back of her neck, then pressed her forehead into his shoulder, allowed her to wet his cloth, even entirely. "Fuck everybody that's ever called you useless, including me," he whispered into her ear, brushing the strands of auburn, loose hair. "I promise, I'll make it up to you, on my life even," he swore, and the gods, hidden among the stars, were his witnesses for so.