Reviews
DJ Rodriguez: Thanks for the advice.
Yes, Hiccup was on a losing argument. And unfortunately, it wasn't the first time. And yes, I can agree with Daemon's logic. And for all his faults, I see Daemon as a better father figure compared to Stoick when it comes to understanding Hiccup.
Thanks. I thought it was a good way to display that they are best friends. Hiccup's burn to Tuffnut was actually inspired by someone else's, but thanks.
And yes, Fishlegs has the knowledge needed, but at this point, he doesn't know how to use it.
Compared to Gobber, the Gronckle is actually telling them more helpful advice in her language. Gobber just opened the cage and only said a few words with Leana. Now that I think about it, Gobber's teaching methods are more along the line of 'sink or swim.'
Thank you.
Finding where the Night Fury crashed wasn't as hard as the first time. What Gobber said earlier that day repeated over and over in Hiccup's head like a mantra. A dragon will always go for the kill. Well, if that was the case. . .
"Why didn't you?" the young teen asked himself as he held one of the bolas in his hand. He looked back up to the direction he saw the elusive legendary dragon fly off. He recalled the encounter in his head as he walked ahead. The dragon every had reason to kill Hiccup. Him shooting it down being number one followed by Hiccup attempted to cut its head off and gut its heart out. And yet it didn't. It simply roared in his face, saying thank you but also warning him to not shoot him down again. And even told him to go home. As far Vikings' understanding of dragons went, that should not have happened. Hiccup pulled himself out of his thoughts as he jumps down to a rocky crevice and follows it into a rocky cove complete with a pristine spring pool. It sure looks beautiful but it's not what Hiccup's looking for.
"Well, this was stupid," he muttered. I mean what are the chances the Night Fury will stay on the island of Vikings that will want to kill him? He scans the high stone walls before spotting a handful of black scales on the ground. Curious, Hiccup crouches down and picks up one and studies it.
A roar and a black figure jumping past him makes Hiccup jump back in fright. "Come on! Come on!" That voice. . . Hiccup realized in surprise. He scoots over and sees the Night Fury. The black dragon was flapping its wings and clawing at the stone wall as he slides down. "Come on! . . . No! No! No! Damn it!" he growled as it glided to the other side of the cove for a rough landing.
"You were so close!" a young feminine voice said nearby. Blinking, Hiccup turned to the direction it was and saw a dragon he had never seen during a raid. The dragon's size was close to a Monstrous Nightmare. It had two legs like a Nadder or a Nightmare with two rows of spikes running down its neck and pale scales.
"One more time!" The Night Fury says determinedly as Hiccup jumps to a lower ledge as the dragon leaps into the air, beating its wings furiously. "Just a little. . . further. . .!" Again and again, he rolls uncontrolled and crashes back down. An idea came to Hiccup as he watches the Night Fury and the other dragon before he pulled out his book. He flips past old drawings of weapons and designs to a blank page. He quickly sketches the Night Fury before moving to another page and drew the unknown dragon.
"Shoot!" the Night Fury said in frustration.
"Well, if you can't fly out. . . try climbing out!" called another male voice. Hiccup blinked and saw a large blood red dragon that was at least six or seven times bigger than a Monstrous Nightmare standing atop the ledge overlooking the cove across from Hiccup. It had a long serpentine neck, a small pair of horns above its eyes and small but noticeable secondary wings on its hind legs. Hiccup gaped at the dragon before he flipped to another page and quickly drew a sketch.
The Night Fury claws at the steep rock walls, trying to climb out of the cove. He slips and falls hard.
"Are you sure you don't want us to help you get out, Night Fury?" another feminine voice asked. The source came from a white dragon that looked to be five times bigger than the red dragon and she was resting in a large clearing right next to the cove. She had no spikes or spines and no horns either but had a large dewlap on her throat and some holes in her wings. Compared to the other three dragons, this female sounded far older than the rest. Or for any dragon Hiccup had heard. And Hiccup means that in the most respectable way possible. That's when it clicked to Hiccup. He had heard these dragons' voices when the Night Fury flew off before he fainted. He almost thought he was hallucinating.
"Because I have made some observations and took some consideration before coming to a conclusion. . . you are trapped because of your missing tail fin." the large white dragon said to the Night Fury.
"Gee, thanks Vinegar." The Night Fury snorted drily. "I didn't notice that myself."
"It's Vahgar," the large female dragon hissed. "Vahgar, the White Death." Upon hearing the mention of a missing tail fin, Hiccup looked back to his sketch of the Night Fury and back to the real dragon. It was missing a tailfin. The Night Fury took off again only to crash land next to the pond near the center of the cove. He let out a whine as he laid down before he heard a fish jump in the pool in front of him. He rose to his feet and limped closer to the water's edge. He tried to snap at the fish in the water but based on the fact that he had nothing in his mouth when he pulled his head back was not quick enough.
"Great," the ebony dragon grumbled as its stomach growled in response. He must have used up most of his energy trying to get out of the cove since yesterday. The smaller female dragon walked over and snatched a fish from the pool and dropped it next to the Night Fury. "Thank you, Moondancer." the dragon crooned gratefully as it ate the fish. "To answer your question, Vahgar, no." he said to the large white dragon. "Helping me out of this cove won't improve my situation. Why? Because I am downed. Downed in the middle of a cove on an island of Vikings that want to spill my guts and I wouldn't be able to survive a swim back to the Nest." he slumps down as Moondancer nudges him with a sympathetic expression. "Spectacular, just spectacular."
"Perhaps our Riders will help you," the red male dragon said, shrugging his wings.
Hiccup leaned forward at that. Riders? he repeated mentally before he saw something that caught him off guard. The other dragons had saddles. Almost like a horse and yet they were not for they each had a different design for the dragon they were on. Though the large dragon, Vahgar's saddle was mainly covered in dirt and needles as was most of her body. At the corner of his eye, he sees his pencil rolling to the edge. He reached to catch it but it was too late. He winched at the sound of its impact on the ground echoed through the cove like a thunderclap. The four dragons turned to the direction of the pencil before glancing up to Hiccup. He winced. He was done for. Either one of those dragons were going to kill him now.
"It's that stupid skin sack that shot me down from yesterday," the Night Fury growled wearingly. "What does he want?" The small female dragon, Moondancer sniffed Hiccup's direction. "Wait a minute. He smells like Baela and Rheana." she mused in realization.
The red male sniffed the Viking's direction. "I smell Daemon, Leana and metal. Specifically, iron and steel."
"I suppose the little Viking spends a lot of time with our riders and metal for some strange reason," Vahgar said as she looks to Hiccup, and he could see dirt falling from her as she lifts her head. She seems to squint her eyes upon looking at him and tilts her head. "I must admit, he looks small for a hatchling. Did he hatch recently?"
This was confusing for Hiccup, to say the least. They didn't sound like they were going to kill him. Why? Wait, how did they know Daemon and his family to recognize them by scent? Or know their names for that matter? The word, 'Riders' kept on repeating in his head along with the fact that these dragons knew the Targaryen family's scent. That would mean. . . No, he shook his head. Sure, Daemon told Hiccup to just kill dragons in self-defense only and that Baela and her sister didn't feel comfortable at seeing the warriors killing dragons, but that couldn't mean that they were. . . Dragon Riders! And yet, what else could it mean?
He looks back at the Night Fury who still stares at him, unflinching while the other dragons seem to look away. Hiccup slowly loses his fear and is filled with curiosity and awe. For once, someone other than the Targaryen House is staring at him and not judging him. More than just someone. A dragon. The enemy of his tribe were staring at him but don't seem to be eager to spill his blood or eat him and use his body like a toothpick.
Why was this going against everything he was just told about dragons? Because another thing he was realizing was that those other dragons must have been living on Berk for a long time and they haven't attacked anyone as far as Hiccup remembered. Wait a minute, he thought. There was only one sighting of a dragon that matched the description of the red dragon. Three years ago, about a day after I was. . . he shook his head. He didn't want to think about that event.
Then another thought crossed his mind. Daemon's lesson! He looked to where the sun was in the sky. Oh shoot! I'm late!
Hiccup ran into the Kill Ring and saw Daemon standing to the side, studying one of the new scorch marks. "Right on time, Hiccup." Daemon said as he turned his head to Hiccup's direction.
"Really? I thought I was late." Hiccup stated in a surprised and hopeful tone that he actually showed up on time.
"That's what I mean," the Targaryen replied, making Hiccup slump. "Oh." Daemon smirks in amusement. He then held up his sword. "Now then, are you ready to begin?"
Straightening, Hiccup reached to his waist and pulled out his own sword and grinned. "Are you?" he rebutted.
The two circled one another before Daemon swung first and Hiccup blocked. The two held their smirks as they traded parries and strikes at each other's defense.
"Your footwork seems acceptable," Daemon complimented before delivering an attack that forced Hiccup back. "But you're forgetting about what I've told you."
"Right. my enemies are going to come at me like a ocean wave." replied Hiccup. "I need to be immovable like the mountain." Then he stepped back twice and blocked each of Daemon's vertical strikes. The silver haired man stepped forward and nodded. "Good. Now if I step this way," he walks to Hiccup's left who does the same for Daemon and the two exchanged more strikes to another's defense.
Hiccup ducked and rolled under one of Daemon's swings and ended up being back-to-back with Daemon. He blocked Daemon's strike to his left side and tried to same for the silver-haired man's left, but Daemon blocked that strike as well before the Targaryen spun around and attacked Hiccup with the ferocity of a dragon.
Hiccup back pedaled and almost stumbled. "Shouldn't you not be fighting me like an enemy?" he asked with a bit of nervous smile as he struggled with both hands to hold Daemon's sword back.
"Dragons are not our only enemies, Hiccup." Daemon said. "Remember the Romans and the Pirates?" Hiccup grimaced at the mention of the Romans and the Pirates. Those times were not fun no matter what Cami and Thug said. Not to mention that there is the Tribe of Outcasts, he thought with a mental shudder. Suddenly he got an idea when he locked blades with Daemon.
"So, what would you say about a dragon knowing you by name and smell?" Hiccup asked out of the blue.
Blinking in surprise, Daemon looked to the young teenage Viking in confusion. "What?" he asked before Hiccup split his sword into two and used them to push Daemon's Dark Sister out of his grip and then held the two swords at the Targaryen's throat.
"Ha! I can't believe that worked!" Hiccup said with a laugh. He smirked up at Daemon. "Do ye yield, Daemon?"
Daemon chuckled in amusement. "I think. . . that you just impressed Astrid." he said.
"Huh?" Hiccup looked around only to see that it was going to rain pretty soon, and that no one was watching them. It was this moment that Hiccup knew he had been had. "Ah yak dung-!" Hiccup muttered before Daemon grabbed his wrists and flung him to the ground and took his swords and then held them at the boy's throat.
Hiccup merely sighed and dropped his head against the ground in exasperation and defeat. And partially embarrassed that his crush was used against him like now. Daemon lowered the swords and twirled them in his hands, and he inspected the detailed craftsmanship and the mechanism to make the sword split in two separate blades. "Nicely done." he said.
"Thanks," Hiccup said as he got to his feet. "So how did I do?"
"Other than falling into my trap, pretty good." Daemon replied. "And you know, Baela would like to spar with you sometime."
"Oh, really? Cool." Hiccup said with a shrug. "So, now what?"
"Well for one, get indoors and away from the rain." Daemon said and sure enough it started raining cats and dogs. "Gobber and Leana are hosting the class in the Great Hall. They'll be criticizing your performances."
"Great." Hiccup muttered as he walked out of the Arena with Daemon. Just as Daemon cranked the gates closed, he turned to Hiccup. "What brought up that question?" he asks.
"Huh?" Hiccup asked, holding his fur vest over his head for protection from the rain. "The question regarding a dragon knowing you by name and smell." Daemon replied as he picked up a cloak and put it on. He pulls the hood over him as they walk on the wooden bridge. "What brought that up?"
". . .Oh, uh nothing." Hiccup replied. "I just thought it would be something to throw you off guard." Daemon rose an eyebrow at that before humming in response. "Well then, see you tomorrow, Hiccup." he said as he began to walk to his house. Hiccup sighed. Should have he asked? . . . No. He wouldn't know how Daemon would react. No, that wasn't true. If the Targaryen patriarch was really a Dragon Rider, he would try to keep a secret and lie. Right? Hiccup shook his head as thunder boomed in the sky. He shouldn't focus on that now and head to the Great Hall.
When Hiccup entered the Great Hall, he was drenched. A part of him hopes that he wouldn't get sick from this. The Dragon Training Class was sitting near the middle of the Great Hall instead of near the doors. He sighed as he began to walk over to their tables.
"Now, where did Astrid go wrong?" he heard Leana asked from where she stood. The person who answered was Astrid herself.
"I mistimed my somersault dive." she said. "It was sloppy. It threw off my reverse tumble."
Hiccup can see eyerolls among the teens sitting at Astrid's table. "Yeah, we noticed." Ruffnut said in a sarcastic tone. Which is a surprise. He never thought she was capable of that. Or was that Tuffnut he thought was incapable of being sarcastic?
"No, no, you were great." And Snotlout tries to flirt with Astrid. "That was so 'Astrid.'" He even grabs her hand, but Astrid rolls her eyes and pulls her hand away to grab her cup.
"Not the answer I was looking for," Leana said, getting a surprised look from the teens, Astrid included. The dark silver haired woman then sees Hiccup walking past their table. She can also see Snotlout moving on the bench to prevent the heir from sitting with them, but Hiccup isn't bothered as he grabs a plate of chicken and a cup of water. Why would he sit with Snotlout when he could sit with his friends at the other table? The boys may be cousins, but the Jorgenson acted anything but a cousin.
"Where did Hiccup go wrong?" Gobber asked.
"Way to open the floor, Gobber. . ." Hiccup muttered as he sat down next to Baela and Rheana. Baela held up a cloak for Hiccup to dry himself from the rain while Leana elbowed the blacksmith who shrugged. What? he mouthed. She flicks her eyes to the other teens and to Hiccup who sat down next to her daughters. You know that Snotlout and the twins are going to bully him, she mouthed in response while glaring at the two-limbed blonde man. Gobber winced and sure enough, the Velaryion woman was proven correct.
"Uh, he showed up." Ruffnut said with a smirk. "Not my choice," Hiccup retorted. "Besides you showed up too, so I guess we both went wrong." he shrugged.
Losing her smirk, Ruffnut blinked in surprise at that response while Tuffnut sneered, "He didn't get eaten." Baela and her family glared at him for the jab, all three of them suddenly being reminded of the day he, his sister and Snotlout took their bullying too far. Hiccup seemed to have been reminded of that as well based on his eyes narrowing.
"And I'd like to keep it that way until I become a grandfather." Hiccup said with a glare to the male twin.
"He's never where he should be," Astrid said with a glare.
"That may be true in some cases, but that's not the answer we're looking for." Leana said after whacking the Thorston twins on the back of their heads. Unlike what Gobber would have done (Which would have just been enough to knock their helmets off their heads.), Leana made sure to hit them enough to hurt as punishment for what they said about Hiccup. Especially Tuffnut. She went back to her lecture as she walks around the teens' tables. "Besides, him hiding from an enemy that he knew he couldn't beat helped him survive longer than the rest of you besides my daughters and Astrid. There is no shame in hiding from an enemy that you know is stronger than you." she turns to Hiccup. "How about you, Hiccup? Would you care to tell these students and help them find out where exactly they went wrong?"
Now the teens, Snotlout and the Twins mainly, expected Hiccup to decline out of fear of their retaliation. Fishlegs and Astrid expected him to stutter while declining.
"Well, the Twins went wrong with fighting each other." Hiccup said without missing a beat, looking at Leana first before making eye contact with the teens at the other table. He shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean on one hand, siblings always fight, if my time with Baela and Rheana had told me anything." Said sisters nodded in agreement while rolling their eyes fondly. "But on the other hand, they were fighting over a shield when there were five other shields next to them and the dragon was right next to them. Plus, the fact that they're siblings, twins at that, they should have had excellent teamwork and survive the class longer than a minute."
The Twins stared at him with wide eyes. Leana nodded. "Correct," she said and turned to the Thorston Twins. "A shield with flowers will protect you from your enemies just as a shield with flames would. I know you two have some strange obsession with finding fun in bodily harm on yourselves but even deep down you know that you could get one another killed or both."
"Fishlegs took his eyes off the enemy and left himself open." Hiccup continued and Fishlegs looked at his plate sheepishly. The heir turned to him with an apologetic look. "Knowledge is power, Fishlegs but you also need to keep your head in the game." he said bluntly as the boy looked down in shame. "You're lucky the dragon didn't aim for your arm or head." The irony of him saying what the dragon actually said was not lost on the young Haddock.
"Snotlout, flirted with a girl on the battlefield. Enough said." With that, Hiccup turns to Astrid. "Now let's see where you went wrong." he stated ignoring Astrid beginning to glare at him. "You were focused, had your eyes on the enemy the whole time. . . Oh, I know exactly where you went wrong."
"And what was that?" Astrid asked with a frown. Baela and Rheana looked to the blonde with glares and got ready to stand up.
"It wasn't your 'mistimed somersault dive' I'll tell you that," Hiccup remarked drily. "It was when you left me open for the Gronckle to fire at me. You did it with Snotlout too, now that I think about it. But I think he's too wrapped up in himself to notice. If it wasn't for Rheana, I probably would have been hit."
"You were distracted, flirting with me like your cousin." Astrid said defensively. "Yeah, no, I wasn't. All I did was try to make small talk with my friends." Hiccup replied sternly while gesturing to the Velaryian sisters for emphasis. "I did get distracted with what you said. That's where you went wrong. Our class is supposed to teach us teamwork, to be united against our enemies. It was four against one. Yet, when it came down to it, you just thought 'Fuck that, every Viking for themselves.'"
The teens gape, the Valyrian sisters included. Whether it was Hiccup's criticism of Astrid or the fact that he actually cursed was anyone's guess. I mean, with Stoick the Vast as a dad and Daemon Targaryen and Gobber the Belch as mentors, it would be impossible for Hiccup to not pick up some foul words. Leana had come to that conclusion and glared at Gobber who looked briefly proud of his apprentice's words before realizing that he shouldn't. Astrid stood to her feet with an angry glare. Baela and her sister subtly followed suit and reached for their swords.
"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow. "Can't handle the truth? Can't take criticism from other people? You seem fine with your own criticism and from those you care about. . . Actually," he furrowed his brow thoughtfully and rubbed his chin. "That's not right. . . You only care about yourself."
"That's not true!" Astrid shouted while the rest of the teens began scooting away from the lass. Baela and Rheana now started to feel a little worried with what Hiccup was saying. It seems giving him a chance to criticize the other teens was letting him vent some frustrations of his. While the sisters didn't want him to bottle up his frustrations, they also didn't want him to say something that would ignite a fight with Astrid of all people. If it came down to it, they hoped their father trained the boy they saw as a brother would be enough.
"You know what? You're right." Hiccup said slowly. "There was one person you cared about. . . your uncle. Fearless Finn." Then he tilts his head with a false confused face. "Or is he called. . .Fearful Finn?" He shrugged. "My memory is a little fuzzy for something that happened when I was littler than I am now."
That was a lie. His memory wasn't fuzzy. He knew exactly what the late Finn Hofferson called himself before his death to the Frightmare disgraced his and Astrid's Clan, name, honor and House nearly ten years ago and how much Astrid respected and cared for him. Hiccup still remembered how many weeks Astrid spent grieving for her uncle before she vowed to redeem her family name and restore their honor by becoming the greatest warrior of their generation. Hel, Hiccup even made her battle axe and sharpened it for her whenever needed.
Everyone looked at Hiccup with wide eyes, even the adults at the other tables within the Great Hall. The Twins looked at Hiccup in a new light. Which would have been great because Hiccup was sure that they only respected him for the destruction he caused on accident. Something that he didn't want. Fishlegs and Snotlout looked fearful and worried, and Snotlout rarely looked fearful or worried for his cousin's safety. Baela and Rheana looked more surprised than anything and maybe a little proud. Yes, they were worried about Hiccup starting something ugly, but on the other hand, this could be a wake-up call for the blonde girl.
Astrid looked briefly hurt and shocked before becoming enraged. She grabbed her axe and jumped towards Hiccup with a yell and swung her axe. Hiccup stepped out of the way faster than most of the teens thought he would move. Astrid was briefly surprised that he moved faster than she thought before being infuriated at Hiccup's expression. He didn't look scared or regretful. Instead, he reached over to grab his cup and sipped his drink. "Is this necessary?" he asked. "All I did was say some words."
Astrid swung her axe again and again, but Hiccup dodged each of her attacks. Another thing Daemon told him about fighting. Let his opponents spend most of their energy. With Astrid having a build similar to his, it made sense to switch from being unmovable like a mountain to moving swift like the river or the wind. "Slow." Step to the right. "Sloppy." Slide to the left. "Pathetic," he leaned his head back before taking a sip.
"I'm pathetic?!" Astrid said. "You're the one that can't fight!" She swung her axe again and it came into contact with Hiccup's cup, knocking it out of his hand. He simply raised an eyebrow and glanced at the cup before looking back to Astrid. "I wasn't done with that."
Astrid's glare hardened before swinging her axe again only this time Hiccup didn't dodge, he pulled his sword out and blocked her axe. Astrid's glare was replaced by a look of surprise before Hiccup pushed her back with a shove. The teens' surprise rose to another level. They didn't see that Hiccup was armed and while they saw him with the sword earlier, they didn't think he would be able to use it. Leana and her daughters though, looked pleased as did Gobber. The boy finally was going to show his sword skills. Is it the right circumstance? Probably not but hey, better than nothing.
"Care to test that," Hiccup said, tossing his sword his left hand and splitting it in two.
Astrid stared before scowling and charging with a growl that turned to a battle cry. Hiccup caught her axe by making an 'X' with his swords. His stoic emerald eyes reflect off the blades on one side and Astrid's angry blue eyes reflected on the other side. Hiccup used his swords to lock under the blade and around the shaft before he pulled Astrid's axe from her grip before ducking down and swept her legs out from under her. Astrid landed on her butt. She grunted in mild pain before her eyes widened and she jumped back just as one of Hiccup's swords swung toward her face. Had she moved slower, she could have lost an eye. Luckily, a few strands of hair were all the sword touched.
But then she felt a warm trickle on her head. It was a cut above the eyes. The kind that bleeds. She ran her hand against her forehead and saw a small red stain.
"What's wrong? Is the Fearless Astrid Hofferson scared that she can bleed like the rest of us?" Hiccup asked mockingly. "Didn't you say it was fun if you get a scar out of it?"
"Whoa, he actually made her bleed," Tuffnut exclaimed in surprise while Snotlout and Fishlegs stared with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.
"No one has ever made her bleed," Ruffnut said in shock and awe.
Hiccup stepped back until he stepped on Astrid's axe and then kicked towards her on the floor. She glances between the axe and the heir with a mildly confused expression. "Pick it up," Hiccup ordered. "Pick. It. Up."
"Enough, lad." Gobber spoke as he moved between the two teens with speed only seen on Gobber Bath Day. "You've made your point."
Hiccup puts his sword together and sheathed it before tossing Astrid a rag. "For the scratch," he explained as he went to sit beside the Valyrian sisters.
"Now, he could have said it differently," Leana said, giving Hiccup a mild scolding look before turning the other teens, specifically Astrid who sat down. "He is right about your performances. And Dragon Training is supposed to teach you to look after your fellow Viking. United, we stand. Divided we fall." Astrid looked down at the Velaryian woman's words while Hiccup went to sit down next to Baela. The girl held her hand below the table towards Hiccup and he gave her a low five.
"Aye, ya need tah live and breathe this stuff," Gobber said before pulling out a book from his pants and placed it on the table. "The Dragon Manuel. Everything we know about every dragon we know of."
"Every dragon?" Hiccup asked. The blacksmith nodded. "Every dragon we know of." Then he paused to listen to the thunder outside. "No attacks tonight. Study up." With that said, he left the Hall.
All was quiet, the teens still shocked and surprised at what happened less than three minutes ago before Hiccup walked over and picked up the book. "I think no one would object to me reading this." he stated.
"Hey, what if I wanted to read that!" Tuffnut tried to protest before getting skeptical gazes from Hiccup and the others. "What?"
"Yeah, the day you actually read a book, Tuffnut, is the day I'll be proud to call Snotlout my cousin." Hiccup said, shaking his head at the male Thorston twin and gesturing to the Jorgenson boy.
"Exactly! Why read words when you can just kill the stuff the words tell you about?" Snotlout said, doing the most impressive thing a Viking teenage boy like him can do outside of battle. Say a full complex sentence. He even glared, looking actually offended to be told to read before pausing once he registered what else Hiccup had said. "Wait." He was a strong warrior for his age, why wouldn't his fishbone of a cousin be proud to be related to him?
"Memorize everything about what the Book of Dragons says." Leana said as she picked up her cloak. "The information could help you in class. Class will be in the Arena next Monday. Like Gobber said, study up." she turns to her daughters. "Don't stay up too late." Baela and Rheana nodded silently as Hiccup sat down next to them again.
"Are they serious?" Ruffnut asked. "They want us to read while we're still alive."
"No, he wants you to read when you're dead and your ashes at the bottom of the sea," Rheana said with a roll of her eyes. "And when your soul is in Valhalla."
"There's books in Valhalla? I thought it was supposed to be a paradise!" exclaimed Ruffnut. This made both Hiccup, the Velaryian sisters and Astrid stare at her in surprise before the three of them shook their heads and sighed in exasperation.
"Oh, I've read the book seven times!" Fishlegs said excitedly while Snotlout and the Twins look at the large boy as if he suddenly turned into a large crab. "There's this water dragon that sprays boiling water at your face! And this other one that buries itself for a week-"
Tuffnut interrupts him. "Yeah, sounds great. There was a chance I was going to read that." he said sarcastically.
"But now," Ruffnut drawled with a deadpan/bored expression.
"You guys read, I'll go kill stuff," Snotlout declared before he went to the doors. The Twins followed with Fishlegs following after, trying to share more of his knowledge.
Hiccup and Baela shook their heads at seeing what Fishlegs was doing. It was shame that he was talking to the wrong kids to share his knowledge. When the two turned to the book, Rheana nodded her head to the other table. Hiccup looked over.
Astrid didn't move from her spot and stared at Hiccup. The auburn-haired teen reached for the hilt of his sword and stared back at the blonde shieldmaiden. "If you have something to say, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Astrid seemed more surprised by Hiccup's response. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She closed her mouth before she got up and walked to the Great Hall doors.
Hiccup retracted his hand from his sword and turned back to the book. "Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Rheana asked slowly. "Especially with her uncle?"
He sighed in response. "It was." he said in a regretful tone. He briefly felt like a bully. If only a little. Speaking to her like that. "I'll apologize to her later."
Baela shrugged. "I personally think she needed to hear that." she stated. "She's a great warrior, but she needs to realize that she needs to follow the duty to protect her fellow Viking if she wants to be a Shield Maiden. Besides, maybe this will make her realize that her anger issues are a problem." she leans forward and whispers to Hiccup. "I've heard that she has had some outbursts, especially when she was younger." Hiccup nodded. He had heard about them.
One of the reasons there were eight teens of the same age in the entire village was that the others were married off. With the village being at war with dragons, most teens didn't survive to reach adulthood. So most high-ranking families married their children to other clans on the island or off to different tribes. Fishlegs was rejected by most for being a low-ranking clan and that he was considered too timid to be a family protector and too fat for most girls' taste. Ruffnut and Tuffnut caused a lot of havoc that no one wanted to marry any of them. (If that was intentional, then pretty clever for the twins.) Snotlout was too obnoxious and full of himself to notice. No one was interested in Hiccup and the Velaryian sisters were still too young at the moment. Astrid? Well, she had refused any suitor and her parents had respected her wishes until one suitor came with a price that couldn't be refused. The result? The suitor lost a couple of fingers, courtesy of Astrid's axe.
So, yeah, Astrid has some anger issues that need to be addressed in the future. Before she does end up doing something that could shame her family name and honor. It was because of this that Hiccup had started to lose interest in her. Sure he'd be captivated by her beauty every now and then but remembering her anger issues, tendency to be violent and knowing that she was not interested in him.
When they were the last ones in the Hall, Hiccup brought over an extra candle so he and his friends could read roughly two hours later. "You ready?" he asked the sisters who nodded.
"Dragon Classifications," Hiccup read the table of contents page. "Strike class. Fear class. Mystery class. Tidal Class. Sharp Class. Stoker Class and Boulder Class."
The first dragon was a Thunderdrum. Its body seemed flat with a jaw that expanded like a whale shark and a subpair of wings with a thin tail and noticeable gills and short limbs. "This elusive dragon resides in sea caves and dark tide pools." he read another part of the page as Baela and Rheana glanced at a picture of the Thunderdrum killing a Viking by roaring. "When startled, the Thunderdrum can produce a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight." Hiccup read.
Baela and Rheana glanced at one another. According to their father, Thunderdrums were strong, but they needed to be in close range to harm humans, fatal or not. They also noted one little detail in the page. 'When startled.' Which meant that the dragon wouldn't do that. Right?
Baela read the next dragon. It had a serpentine like body with large wings. "Timberjack. This gigantic creature has razor sharp wings that can slice through full grown trees." she said, and they glanced at a picture of the dragon slicing down a couple of trees like paper. "Extremely dangerous, kill on sight." Well, she could give the author that. Her mother had said that these dragons could harm without meaning to with their wings.
The next dragon had a long neck and a large expandable chin for storing water with short limbs and a fish like tailfin. "Scauldron," Rheana read. "Sprays boiling water at its victims." Well, now they know what Fishlegs was talking about earlier. "Extremely dangerous-" A thunderclap outside made the three teens jump in surprise and fright before they slowly turned back to the book.
"Changewing." Hiccup read. The dragon had a crocodile like body with thick horns on its head and long antennas. "Even newly hatched dragons can spray acid. Kill on sight."
Baela's expression became briefly disgusted and horrified as did Rheana's. They looked at one another and mouthed, even babies? And what else? Baela thought. What do these dragons eat? How big do they grow? All it says is 'kill on sight.'
"Gronckle. Zippleback. The Skrill." Hiccup read, now just skimming through the pages. His imagination took hold as he saw the dragon drawings move on their own and he faintly hears their roars and screeches in his head. "Boneknapper. Whispering Death." Rheana raised an eyebrow. Hasn't Gobber been ranting that a Boneknapper has been bothering for years but everyone else, including Stoick and her parents think he's just fibbing? Baela felt some chills form on her upon seeing the drawings of the Whispering Death.
Baela took over reading what was said to be methods of how dragons kill. "Burns its victims. Buries its victims. Chokes its victims. Turns its victims inside out. Wait, what?" Well, that's a little informative, yet still not helpful.
Rheana then began reading the warnings written by the author. "Extremely dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Kill on sight. Kill on sight. Kill on sight." she was now feeling exasperated. "Is there any dragon that isn't labeled, 'extremely dangerous' and 'kill on sight?'" Gobber and her mother have said that this book is helpful, yet none of what they've read so far is sounding remotely helpful.
"Ask and you shall receive," Hiccup said as they reached one page that was completely blank. No picture whatsoever. "Night Fury. Speed unknown. Size unknown." Hiccup reads in awe and reverent fear. "The Unholy Offspring of Lightning and Death itself." Then to his and the sisters' surprise, there's a different warning for the Night Fury from the author. "Never engage this dragon. You're only chance: Hide and pray it does not find you."
The three teens stared at the blank pages before Baela said with a shudder, "Well, that's a couple of nights of nightmares." she gave Hiccup a one-armed hug. "Good night, Hic." Rheana followed her sister's lead and walked after her.
"Good night, Baela. Good night, Rheana," Hiccup bid with a wave. When the door slammed, he pulled out his notebook and opened to his drawing of the Night Fury. Hiccup realized that he may be the first Viking to get an actual look at the legendary dragon and draw it. But this also filled him with more questions. If the Night Fury was that dangerous, why didn't it kill him when it had the chance and reason to. Why did it show him mercy?
He flipped to the drawings of the other dragons he saw at the cove. Moondancer, Vahgar and the red one. How did these dragons come to Berk without anyone noticing? Why haven't they attacked the village like the other dragons?
He paused and remembered the mention of the sighting of the red dragon. It was three years ago, after the Blizzard of Olaf and after a particular incident that involved Snotlout and the Twins. The dragon had flown over the village and only burned down one house before it flew away. The Thorston house. This resulted in the deaths of the twins' mother and their newborn brother. The dragons knew Daemon, Leana and their daughters. Why? How? Sighing heavily to himself, Hiccup closed both books and put his notebook back in his vest pocket. He walked out of the Great Hall and down the stairs. Luckily the rain wasn't falling in drenches like earlier, so he didn't have to worry about getting soaked on the way home. But he wasn't going to his house yet. No, there was something he needed to do at the Hofferson house.
"He said that?" Daemon asked with a laugh to Laena as they walked past Raven Point. "To Astrid Hofferson?"
"Yes, he even dropped an F-bomb." Laena replied and glared at Daemon. Her husband held his hands up. "Hey, I watched what I say in front of the boy," he said defensively. Though I suppose it's possible that may have let some words slip out, he thought to himself. There are times where I don't speak in High Valerian when I'm angry and he happens to hear me. "But I can't say the same for Gobber and Stoick."
Laena breathed in deeply and exhaled. "I can't tolerate a Viking society like this sometimes." she muttered.
"Hey, it was either this or the Berserkers," Daemon replied. "Though I guess we should have considered the Defenders of the Wing. They are old allies of my House."
"We're not changing our mind, Daemon." Laena said sternly. "Baela and Rheana care about Hiccup like a brother. And I'll admit, I see him as a son." Daemon chuckled at that. "Hey, don't laugh. He needs a mother."
"He also needs a father," Daemon said in agreement. "What he has at the moment is a chief that would rather sail to his death and not accept his son for who he is, a one armed and one legged blacksmith and me."
"Well, if that's the case, you better hope that you're enough." Laena said.
Daemon chuckled and grabbed her hand. "I think you mean 'we're' enough." he said softly. Leana nodded in response, and they continued walking.
A high-pitched roar sounded off nearby as a red dragon reared his head above the cliff in front of them. He let out a happy croon as did the larger female dragon.
"Good evening, Caraxes," Daemon said in High Valerian as he walked up to the blood red dragon and Laena walked towards Vahgar.
"Daemon! It's been ages!" Caraxes said in Dragonese. "I've tried to keep track of the time, but the days have flown into weeks and turned into months!"
"Caraxes, it's only been two months since we last went flying," Daemon said in fondness and exasperation at his dragon companion's dramatic whining. "And believe me, Caraxes. We've tried to find time for flying but the village has been keeping us busy."
"All the more reason to go flying!" Caraxes exclaimed as he nuzzled Daemon, almost knocking the man off his feet with his chin. "Please? Can we go flying? Please! It's been so long."
"While I wouldn't whine like the flying red worm," Vahgar began, ignoring Caraxes squawk, ("It's Blood Wyrm!") "I do agree. It has been a while since we've stretched our wings."
"Okay, okay, be patient, old woman," Laena chuckled in amusement before she and Daemon climbed onto their saddles.
"Sovehes, Caraxes," Daemon said in High Valerian as Laena spoke to Vahgar. "Sovehes, Vahgar."
"Yes! Finally!" Caraxes squealed in excitement as he flew out of the cove. "I hope my wings are still strong enough to carry me," Vahgar muttered as she flew after Caraxes. The two large dragons were watched by Moondancer and the Night Fury. "Whoa," the Night Fury muttered in awe. "You guys really let Vikings ride you."
"Daemon and his family aren't really Vikings," Moondancer said. "They are humans that respect dragons greatly. They do not see us as monster nor do they treat us like slaves. Most even have a bond so strong that they can share pain and emotions with one another. Daemon and Caraxes, for example, Daemon doesn't really need to say commands for Caraxes to know what to do."
"I wish there was something like that here," The Night Fury said sadly. "Or at least that we dragons aren't at war with the Vikings around here." He knew it was wrong for the dragons to invade the Vikings, but they didn't have much of a choice. But the Vikings didn't know that. For all they knew, the Dragons were just attacking them for the fun of it.
"Have faith, Night Fury." Moondancer said, nuzzling the smaller dragon briefly. "I'm sure this war will end soon." The Night Fury sighed at that before looking up at the flying dragons. He glances at his tail and crooned sadly and longingly.
Hiccup sighed deeply as he stood in front of the Hofferson House. Either he'll lose some teeth, a limb or have the door shut on his face. A black eye is also possible. He lifted his hand to the door and knocked. The door was opened sooner than Hiccup participated, considering what time it was. Close to midnight, from the last time he checked. The person who opened it was also unexpected.
It was Astrid.
"Uh, Hey, Astrid." Hiccup said in a mild nervous tone. Yep, same Hiccup. "Can I come in?"
"Hey, Hiccup." Astrid said, slowly before stepping aside and letting the boy in.
"Uh, why are you still up?" He asked. "It's almost midnight."
"I was planning to go for a walk," she replied, this made Hiccup furrow his brow. "In this weather?" he asked, gesturing to the door. The thunder and lightning may be gone but the rain was still not letting up.
The blonde Shieldmaiden in training shuffled before slumping. "Okay, I was planning to walk to your house." she said.
"Oh, okay then." Hiccup scratched his head. "Glad I saved you the trouble." Both teens were silent for a short moment before they spoke again.
"We need to talk," they both said. They blink at one another. "Uh, you first." Astrid offered.
Remembering the last time he didn't take the chance to speak first, Hiccup takes the chance this time. "Okay, first of all I am truly sorry for what I said to you at the Great Hall regarding you not caring about others." he said. "I went too far there especially insulting your late uncle Finn. I meant no disrespect. Second, I am sorry for cutting your head."
Astrid stared at Hiccup a little wide eyed before exhaling. "Well, you don't have to worry about that. It was just a scratch." she tried to joke. "I've thought about what you said, and you were right. I shouldn't have distracted you and let you get hit. Shield or not. Looking back through memories, I realize that there were other times where I've done the same to others." she sighed. "It's a Shieldmaiden's duty to protect our village, and you're the heir. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry for attacking you out of anger and for calling you pathetic. You're not pathetic. You're a good blacksmith for your age and you've shown that you can fight."
"I have Gobber and Daemon to thank for that," Hiccup replied with a shrug. "I accept your apology, Astrid."
"And I accept yours, Hiccup." The two shook hands before the heir walked to the door. "And Hiccup," she called out. She blushed lightly when he turned to face her. "W-would you like to spar sometime?" she asked.
Hiccup paused in consideration and surprised. ". . . Let me get back to you on that." he said after a moment. "Good night, Astrid." he bid before walking out the front door.
"Good night, Hiccup." Astrid said as he closed the door.
Outside, Hiccup placed his hands on his hips and sighed deeply to himself. That went better than I feared it would, he thought to himself before he yawned.